Duterte blasts Aquino, Abad over DAP implementation

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday that he now wanted to reveal "all" about the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Duterte made the pronouncement during his visit at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, where he criticized former President Benigno Aquino III and ex-Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad for the implementation of the P72-billion program.

"Bakit 'di n'yo kalkalin si Abad? Anong nagawa ni Abad? Si PNoy! Despite a constitutional ruling na bawal 'yang DAP, they continued to do it as if it was nobody's business," he said.

"Ngayon, gusto ko nang ilabas 'yan lahat. Lahat 'yan," he added.

In July 2014, the Supreme Court struck down certain provisions of the DAP, which the Aquino administration introduced to speed up public spending, for being unconstitutional.

However, in February 2015, the high court partially granted the government's appeal and removed one act from the list, and allowed "the funding of projects, activities and programs that were not covered by any appropriation in the GAA (General Appropriations Act)."

Last month, the Ombudsman indicted Abad for usurpation of legislative powers, a crime under the Revised Penal Code, over the DAP's implementation.

However, criminal and administrative charges against Aquino and Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos were dismissed.

Trillanes' DAP

On Sunday, Duterte also tagged his staunch critic, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, among lawmakers who benefited from DAP.

"Pati si Trillanes, 'yung DAP niya ilabas ko. Ilan ang natanggap nila, paano nila nagastos," he said.

He then referred anew to Trillanes' accusation that he had more than P2 billion in hidden bank accounts, as he issued an apparent dare to Aquino to look into this.

"Maghanap sila. May naiwan pa sila diyan mga bata nila sa Central Bank. 'Pag may kalahati ako niyan, pu— ina, bababa ako pagkapresidente," he said.

He then reiterated that he would step down if any of his children were found to be involved in corruption.

The President issued the said remarks as he launched another tirade against the European Union (EU), the Catholic church, and media outfits Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN, over criticisms in his administration's war against drugs.

Kidapawan

During the press briefing, Duterte was also asked about the National Democratic Front's (NDF) ordering the arrest of Aquino and other officials over the violent dispersal of at least 6,000 farmers in Kidapawan City last year.

The "revolutionary government" indicted the former president, along with North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco, and several other Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) civilian personalities, and military and police officials.

About this, Duterte said: "That is for the courts to decide."

The President then went on to reiterate that he was accountable for the actions of uniformed men.

He also said he wouldn't mind being locked up with Aquino, adding that food at the Camp Crame detention center was not so bad.

"There could be... I really do not know, but at the end of the day, kung ako man, kung nangyari sa akin, ako 'yan. Sabi ko nga, itong mga sundalo, akin talaga 'yan. Ako naman, handa ako mapakulong. Kung ihabol n'yo si Aquino, eh okay na. Different cells lang. Sa umaga, pwedeng magsabay-sabay," he said.

"Nagpunta man ako sa Crame noon, kumain sabay nina [detained Senators] Jinggoy Estrada pati si [Bong] Revilla. Okay ang pagkain doon, para talagang piyesta," he added.

"Ako, mahirap man ako, maki-ano na lang ako kay Noynoy. Payag man ako magkulong, sa totoo lang. Magkulong sa aking paninindigan," he went on. — BM, GMA News