MANILA, (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino is open to holding a dialogue with groups who are still contesting the administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) despite his frequent explanations on the matter these past few weeks, Malacañang said.
In an interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan Sunday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the President is willing to take suggestions from concerned citizens anytime to address their issues on DAP as he had already manifested in his televised speech last week.
“Bukas po ang Pangulo na makipag-diyalogo sa ating mga mamamayan. Ang pagtatalumpati niya on nationwide television at iba pang mga broadcast facilities ay pagpapakita ng kanyang pagiging bukas at ng kanyang kahandaan sa pakikipag-diyalogo at pakikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga kababayan. Siya po ay handang tumanggap ng kanilang mga suhestiyon at sa lahat ng pagkakataon po ay nais niyang malaman ang saloobin ng mga mamamayan,” Coloma stated.
Coloma, meanwhile, reiterated the Aquino administration’s commitment to prosecute those involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or ‘pork barrel’ scam even without the so-called ‘100-day deadline’ being imposed by some sectors.
He said Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice is already preparing the necessary documents for the second complaint or information to be filed against the concerned individuals in the PDAF scam before the Office of the Ombudsman soon.
Even public officials who are allied with the administration would not be spared from the process, Coloma said, as President Aquino specifically instructed all agencies tasked to investigate the case to “let the evidence point to the direction of the inquiry.”
“Ang pinagbabatayan po ng pagsasampa ng kaso at ng impormasyon o ng complaint ay kung ano po ang isinasaad na ebidensya. At ang konsepto po ng katarungan dito po sa administrasyong Aquino ay ‘yun pong nakikita nating nakapiring na lady justice. Wala po itong sini-sino, wala po itong kinikilala kung ano man ang political affiliation, ano man ang posisyon o estado sa lipunan. Kinakailangan po ay pantay-pantay at patas ang paggawad ng hustisya,” Coloma stated.
Coloma assured that the Aquino administration will provide “equal application of the law” and will handle this matter with utmost impartiality.
“Sa lahat po ng ginagawa at isasagawa, ito po ang konsiderasyon natin: Ang equal application of the law at ‘yun pong kawalan ng diskriminasyon. Kinakailangan po ay maging batay sa ebidensya, batay sa katotohanan, katuwiran, at katarungan,” Coloma said.