Budget Secretary Florencio Abad: At center of DAP storm. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥揟he swiftness with which the Palace cleared Budget Secretary Florencio Abad of wrongdoing in relation to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) was only matched by the quickness with which it condemned members of the opposition, lawmakers said on Thursday.
Sen. Sergio Osme帽a III said the Palace鈥檚 absolution of Abad came too fast.
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, secretary general of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), criticized presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda for 鈥渄ownright clearing鈥� Abad of liability by saying he did not personally benefit from the illegal transfer of P170 billion in public funds through the DAP.
High-impact projects?
Tiangco said Abad should enlighten the public on how the people鈥檚 money was funneled to finance supposed 鈥渉igh-impact鈥� projects like the 鈥淐orona impeachment trial, the P250-million congressional e-Library, and P135-million spy gadgets purchased by the Presidential Security Group (PSG), to name a few.鈥�
鈥淲hy would Lacierda insist that Secretary Abad鈥攚ho is considered the brains behind the DAP鈥攄id not personally gain from it? P170 billion is not spare change鈥� He needs to explain what he did with the people鈥檚 money,鈥� he said.
鈥淯ntil now Secretary Abad has been tight-lipped, while Malaca帽ang apologists continue to justify the DAP by mere rhetoric,鈥� Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said in a statement. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 fair. He has to make a full disclosure of the extent of the program and explain if the funds released through the DAP were really used for development projects, and not as a reward to loyal political subalterns of the President,鈥� he said.
Lower courts to decide
Osme帽a noted that as per the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling on the DAP, the criminal, civil and administrative liability would have to be decided by a lower court, since the tribunal was not a trier of facts.
After the Supreme Court largely invalidated the DAP, critics have called on the administration to account for the DAP.
The DAP controversy came on the heels of the scandal over the alleged plunder of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, for which three opposition senators, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, have been charged and detained.
Sen. JV Ejercito, for his part, said Abad should break his silence on the DAP, as speaking out was also a matter of good governance.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 an issue, in the thrust of good governance, they should explain and be more transparent. I think if Secretary Abad has nothing to hide, he should respond to the issue,鈥� he said.
He noted that Abad is a lawyer and used to be a member of Congress, aside from being the budget secretary. Abad was expected to be an expert, and should be the one guiding the President on the DAP issue, he added.
But the Cabinet members are hiding behind the President, using his popularity as a shield, he added.
He pointed out that the President鈥檚 trust rating has taken a hit because of the controversies.
He reiterated his call for Abad to take the bullet for the President to shield him from the scandal.
Ejercito said the minority has yet to meet to determine whether to give a contra-State of the Nation Address (Sona), which is the counterpoint to the President鈥檚 national address.
But he said he wanted the minority to deliver its counterpart address, because the Senate must perform its role as fiscalizer. He said the contra-Sona was not meant to simply criticize or find fault.
鈥淚n the remaining two years of the Aquino administration, we鈥檙e hoping poverty alleviation would take place, inclusive growth would be achieved. We would want to point out certain issues or certain programs that we think would realize all of these achievements,鈥� he said.
He said the Sona would touch on the DAP, though he thinks discussing economic numbers would be more important.
Tiangco, Ejercito鈥檚 ally, said Lacierda鈥檚 statement appeared to be a departure from President Aquino鈥檚 avowal of tuwid na daan (righteous path), in which 鈥渘o one will be spared from any investigation whether a political ally or not.鈥�
鈥楢-bad faith鈥�
鈥淲hat Malaca帽ang did was clearly in 鈥楢-bad faith,鈥欌�� Tiangco said, making a pun on the Cabinet member鈥檚 name.
He said the President could not just give a blanket decree absolving anyone from liability without the benefit of any investigation.
Tiangco lamented that Aquino was treating his 鈥測ellow allies鈥� with kid gloves, even those who were directly involved in the congressional pork barrel and DAP controversies.
He noted that Lacierda also defended and cleared Abad of the P10-billion pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles in connivance with several lawmakers, dismissing the charges as malicious and ridiculous.
The DAP was introduced by the Aquino administration in 2011 behind the glare of media purportedly to pump-prime the economy after its straight path policy resulted in a slowdown of government infrastructure spending amid a review of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration鈥檚 alleged corruption-tainted projects.
The disclosure in September last year by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada that senators who voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona in May 2012 received 鈥渋ncentives鈥� of from P50 million to P100 million in additional allocations under the PDAF prompted Abad to reveal the existence of the DAP.
On July 1, the Supreme Court struck down the DAP. It earlier also declared PDAF, the congressional pork barrel, unconstitutional amid public outrage over its alleged diversion to ghost projects and kickbacks.
Estrada, along with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla, is under detention on plunder charges in connection with the PDAF scam.
Prepare apology
Osme帽a said on Thursday that Aquino should prepare his apology for the DAP fiasco and give an explanation in his forthcoming Sona.
鈥淩ight now, the case is going to be the subject of a motion for reconsideration. If the Supreme Court upholds its earlier decision鈥攁nd remember, that was a 13-0 vote鈥攖hen yes, he should apologize,鈥� Osme帽a told reporters in an interview.
鈥淛ust imitate Gloria,鈥� he said, mimicking the former President saying 鈥淚 am sorry鈥� following the 鈥淗ello Garci鈥� election scandal in 2005.
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