Secretaries: DAP funded P1.9-B projects in Tarlac but not Luisita compensation

Published July 24, 2014 3:59pm

Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson confirmed that President Benigno Aquino III’s home province of Tarlac received 93 projects worth P1.976 billion funded by the administration's Disbursement Acceleration Program.

“Itong mga proyekto ay submission from barangay chairmen, mayors, Cong. (Enrique) Cojuanco, Cong. (Jeci) Lapus. Hindi lang isa yung pinanggalingan ng proyekto. We saw that these projects are essential lalo na yung prone to flooding, dun kami nagconcentrate,” Singson told the committee.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes, on the other hand, denied that the DAP was used to pay for landowners’ compensation in Hacienda Luisita, a sugar estate controlled by Aquino's close relatives in the Cojuangco clan.

On questioning by staunch Aquino ally, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Delos Reyes said what was funded by the DAP was the landowners’ compensation for a property in Davao.

“Hindi humiling ang DAR at Landbank para bayaran ang Hacienda Luisita,” Delos Reyes said.

Aquino used to have shares in the estate but divested when he won the presidency.

Singson and Delos Reyes were among the Cabinet secretaries that attended the Senate hearing to help Budget Secretary Florencio Abad explain the DAP after the Supreme Court declared the spending mechanism partially unconstitutional.

Two impeachment complaints have been filed against Aquino because of the Supreme Court ruling.

The Senate Committee on Finance invited Abad and other economic managers in the Cabinet to explain how savings were generated and allocated under the DAP.

Abad said lawmakers who are either allies or critics of the administration were able to nominate projects funded by the DAP. The same held true, he said, for Cabinet secretaries and local officials.

“Regardless of political affiliation, lawmakers nominated projects. Dito sa Senado, isa lang ang hindi nanghingi ng pondo, si Senator Ping (Lacson). Ganun din pos a House, maski sa minority ay napagbibigyan din po, including partylist, tulad ng Bayan (Muna party-list), si Congressman Neri Colmenares,” he said.

“It is not only the legislators who nominate, even Cabinet members can nominate projects. Maski ordinaryong mamamayan nakakatanggap kami ng sulat,” he added.

Abad said if the President deemed the project proposed was worthy, he would approve it for funding.

“Itong mga proyektong ninominate, kung sa tingin ng Pangulo ay karapat-dapat pondohan ay pinondohan sa pamamagitan ng DAP,” he said. —NB, GMA News

Tags: bantaykaban, disbursementaccelerationprogram, butchabad