COA asked to look into ‘presidential pork’ projects

MANILA, Philippines – A civil society group on Monday asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into what it calls “presidential pork” or projects under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

The Commission on Audit. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The #abolishpork movement, led by Sister Mary John Mananzan, trooped to the COA headquarters in Quezon City to hand over a letter addressed to Chair Grace Pulido-Tan.

“While DAP claims to be an economic stimulus program, several of the projects included in the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) submissions could hardly be considered as having a positive impact on economic growth,” the group said in the letter.

“Too many items appear to be in line with presidential pork spending and as such are very vulnerable to corrupt practices like those that attended the congressional pork or PDAF,” it added.

In a statement, the group listed down the projects it deems “questionable.” It said the COA should ascertain the status of the projects and how the funds were actually utilized, if it had not yet done so.

Among the items questioned are:

• P5.432 billion for the compensation of landowners under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program through the Department of Agrarian Reform
• P1.819 billion for projects under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
• P5.5 billion allocated for “various infrastructure projects”
• P6.5 billion “LGU support fund” under the Department of Interior and Local Government
• P8.592 billion for the ARMM Transition and Investment Support Plan
• P250 million for the Performance Challenge Fund
• P6.5 billion in DAP funds to augment existing PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) projects
• P2 billion national roads project for the province of Tarlac
• P1.8 billion for “Tulay ng Pangulo para sa Kaunlaran” program
• P5 billion for the Tourism Road Infrastructure Project
• P8.295 billion for “priority local projects nationwide”
• P1.6 billion for “Capability Requirements for the Operations of the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea”

The projects are among the 116 listed in memoranda signed by President Benigno Aquino III, which were submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) as evidence.

The SC will conduct another round or oral arguments on the constitutionality of the DAP on Tuesday.