Palace: CARP uses Marcos fund

Malacañang said on Thursday the recovered Marcos wealth were used for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as the law provides. Palace officials reacted to allegations of some senators that the money was used for other purposes. They said a paper trail check on the use of the fund would not lead to President Arroyo but to the CARP, and that all concerned agencies can show the documents as proof. “Proceeds from the Marcos wealth were used for the agrarian program. All disbursements are in order," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said. Senators on Wednesday deferred passage of the Department of Agrarian Reform budget for 2006 because of some questions on the use of the recovered Marcos funds. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the allegation that President Arroyo diverted the money for her election campaign is another scheme to link the Chief Executive to a controversy. “If the issue is raised by the opposition, you don’t expect anything advantageous to the administration. The Department of Budget and Management and the DAR could provide information," Ermita said. He said Malacanang had written former Sen. Jovito Salonga to dispel allegations that Mrs. Arroyo tapped the Marcos funds for her 2004 campaign kitty. The letter details how the fund was used, where it went, who disbursed it, and how it was used over a specific period, he said. -GMANEWS>TV