The Senate blue ribbon committee investigates the alleged overpricing of the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center (inset), a pet project of Senate President Franklin Drilon. FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said the controversy over the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) proved that Senate President Franklin Drilon received more funds from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) than he earlier admitted.
鈥淚 said it before and I will say it again: Senate President Frank Drilon received close to P1 billion in DAP funds from [Budget Secretary Florencio] 鈥楤utch鈥� Abad,鈥� UNA interim president Toby Tiangco said in a statement.
P150M from DAP
Tiangco, congressional representative of Navotas City, said documents presented during the Senate inquiry on Thursday indicating the funding sources for the ICC showed that Drilon received at least P150 million from the DAP, an economic stimulus program launched in 2011 that was voided by the Supreme Court in July.
He noted that Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson鈥檚 report on the ICC showed that allocations worth P100 million and P50 million for the allegedly overpriced structure came from the budgets of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2012 and 2013.
鈥楬e must explain鈥�
鈥淗e should explain why he admitted to receiving only P100 million for the ICC when in fact he gave P150 million for the project. And here I thought he was all for upholding transparency in the government,鈥� Tiangco said.
Drilon earlier said he received only P100 million from the DAP for the construction of the ICC. He said he received the amount after the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, but insisted it was not a bribe for his vote.
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