MANILA, (PNA) — One of the former members of the prosecution panel of the House of Representatives who helped in the Impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona on Thursday said that there is legal basis for the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of the Aquino administration.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said that there is a law giving power to the president to realign funds contrary to the claims of Senators Joker Arroyo and Miriam Defensor Santiago. The two senators insist that no law had been passed to create the DAP program.
“DAP is legal as stated in the Constitution and the General Appropriations Act. Allowing lawmakers to identify their pet projects is not a form of bribery,” Umali said in an interview.
This was also supported in a separate interview by former NEDA Secretary General Cayetano Paderanga who stressed that the use of DAP by the Aquino administration is justified claiming that there is nothing wrong with government realigning savings for other purposes.
Paderanga said that government had to increase spending to boost the economy.
Umali noted that because of the DAP used as stimulus fund to pump prime the economy, the Philippines’ progress is the fastest in Asia.
In the first quarter, Umali said the Philippines’ economic growth jumped 7.7 percent last year with the second-quarter gross domestic product expanding by 7.5 percent. Private analysts like HSBC and Citi have raised their own growth forecasts for the Philippines for this year, citing “prudent” fiscal management and favorable demographics.
“They say it’s because of prudent fiscal management. Those who monitor how we manage our fiscal resources see that these are placed appropriately although this isn’t perfect, it has at least an effect on our economy,” Umali pointed out.
On the issue of bribery, the veteran lawmaker said that if the intention is to give incentives, “dapat parehas ang tinanggap naming with the senators and should be given at the height of impeachment and not several months after the decision had been made.”
“Hindi ko talaga makita yung connections na there is bribery. If you want to bribe anybody, it should be handed during or at the height of trial and not after which you can no longer reverse the decision,” he explained.
He admitted that almost all congressmen are always asking for more funds to complete or finish their projects or create more projects in their districts and this is normal.
“President Aquino won’t allow bribery to be committed under his administration as this very contrary to his straight path policy. It is not the policy of this administration, whether official or private, to give bribes. It isn’t bribe, it isn’t an incentive,” he emphasized.
When asked to comment on Arroyo and Santiago’s statement that the President’s move is illegal because there is no law, Umali just say ‘that is their opinion and I do not agree with it.”