SC to tackle Friday Syjuco’s plea vs DAP

Augusto Syjuco Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court will hold a special en banc on Friday to determine whether to stop the government from using the Disbursement Acceleration Program to augment funds for the earthquake victims in Central Visayas.

Former Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. told the high court, in his urgent motion, that DAP should not be used in helping the earthquake victims because DAP’s legality is still in question.

The government has intended to use DAP following the pronouncements of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad that the government’s calamity and contingency funds are almost depleted.

Abad, in a statement earlier, said rehabilitation of areas in Mindanao ravaged by typhoon Pablo, the world’s strongest storm last year, will cost P11 billion yet the calamity fund is only P7.5 billion for 2013.

Syjuco, however argued that there is a remaining P6.95 billion calamity as posted on the website of the Department of Budget and Management.

“Constitutional doctrines must remain steadfast no matter what may be the tides of time. It cannot be simply made to sway and accommodate the call of situations and much more tailor itself to the whims and caprices of government and the people who run it,” the motion stated.

The former lawmaker maintained that DAP was not created by law even if it had the intention of expediting development in the countryside through infrastructure and social services projects.

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