Budget Secretary Florencio 鈥淏utch鈥� Abad. 黑料社 file photo
Manila, Philippines听鈥� Amid calls for President听Benigno听Aquino III to sack Budget Secretary Florencio听鈥淏utch鈥澨鼳bad and Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos听Reyes, Malaca帽ang听on Tuesday reminded the public that the President has already previously addressed the issue.
鈥淭inukoy na po yan ng ating Pangulo at nu鈥檔g nakaraang buwan nu鈥檔g nagsumite ng pagbibitiw si听Secretary Abad at sinabi ng Pangulo na hindi nya tinatanggap ito at pinaliwanag n鈥檡a听鈥榶ung听dahilan,鈥� Communications Secretary听Herminio听鈥淪onny鈥� Coloma Jr. said over听Radyo听Inquirer 990AM.
(That has already been addressed by the President last month when Secretary Abad submitted his resignation letter. The President said he could not accept it and explained his reason.)
Coloma said Aquino then argued that Abad鈥檚 resignation over the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) was unacceptable.
鈥淪inabi听ng听Pangulo听na听hindi听听听n鈥檡a听tinatanggap听鈥榶ung听proposisyon听na听ang听programang听iyon听ay听masama听at hindi dapat maging dahilan sa pagbibitiw,鈥� he added.
(The President said that he could not accept the proposition that the program was bad and that it could not be used as a reason for Abad鈥檚 resignation.)
Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Coloma also said that Aquino does not have any problem with the performance of De los Reyes, who was accused of being weak听in implementing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (Carper) Law.
鈥淵es, the President continues to trust in Secretary De los Reyes鈥� capability,鈥� he said in a text message to 黑料社.
Akbayan听Representative Walden Bello, an administration ally, earlier appealed to Aquino to let Abad and De los Reyes go.
Bello said sacking inept Cabinet members would restore the credibility of the Aquino administration and its reform agenda.
He said Abad made a bad judgment on DAP.
鈥淚 think he has become a hindrance to the fulfillment of the program and I feel strongly that he must go for the听matuwid听na听daan听(straight path) to regain its credibility,鈥� Bello said in his letter to Aquino.
Lawmakers, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, have already called for the firing of Abad due to the DAP, which was declared partly unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
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