Palace cites DAP benefits, economic gains as PNoy marks 4th year in office

Malacañang on Monday cited supposed benefits from the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as President Benigno Aquino III marked his fourth year in office.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda maintained that Aquino's move to source the DAP from government savings is legal.

"Savings, under the Constitution, can be realigned... That is in the Constitution... We strongly believe that the DAP has benefited the country," Lacierda said Monday.

He added that the DAP helped boost the country's gross domestic product.

"We implemented the DAP and it contributed to the various programs of the government, the various agencies," he said.

The DAP started making headlines last September after opposition Senator Jinggoy Estrada bared during a privilege speech that he and other senators who voted to convict former chief justice Renato Corona each received P50 million in additional funds months after the impeachment trial.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad later admitted that the additional funds came from the DAP, but maintained that the allocations were neither bribes nor incentives.

Several petitions questioning DAP's constitutionality have been filed before the Supreme Court. The high court has yet to issue a decision on this matter.

'Good governance, good economics'

Lacierda further maintained that Aquino's "good governance" has translated to economic gains.

He particularly cited the Philippines' credit rating upgrade and "big-ticket" investments in some sectors as products of the administration's "good economics."

"Foreign investors, domestic businessmen will see the benefit of having a government that tries to lead, an administration that will provide an even playing field for the business sector," the President's spokesman said.

He also cited figures to show that the poverty level has decreased in the country, although he admitted that the administration still needs to take more steps to create more jobs in the country.

"It will take some time for us to eradicate poverty... but we want to hasten the diminution of poverty by engaging in all these activities that would seek to provide employment for a greater number of people," Lacierda said.

Some 11.5 million Filipinos were jobless during the first three months of 2014, a survey conducted last March by pollster Social Weather Stations showed. — Andreo Calonzo/JDS, GMA