Escudero, Poe on Aquino’s defense of DAP: The law is the law

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero. INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – While they understand President Benigno Aquino III’s frustration over the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), two administration senators said the “law is the law” and that the Constitution should be “faithfully executed.”

‘PNoy (Aquino) means well and I think he just wanted to explain and share his frustration with the delays in project implementation that the SC ruling on DAP may bring about,” Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Tuesday, reacting to Aquino’s televised defense of DAP on Monday.

“However, the law is the law and at the end of the day, I firmly believe that PNoy will abide by the SC decision–once it becomes final even if he disagrees with it,” Escudero said.While the intention of DAP was noble, Senator Grace Poe said the Constitution is above all other laws that should be “faithfully executed.”

“I can understand the President’s expression of frustration with the Supreme Court’s refusal to appreciate on constitutional grounds the legitimate basis and consequent general positive economic results of the DAP. I concede to the noble intentions of DAP as mentioned by PNoy,” Poe said.

“However, the Constitution is above all other laws and should be faithfully executed.”

“Regardless of probability, the President though should not be faulted for seeking reconsideration which after all is a legal remedy he is still allowed to make,” Poe added.

Both Escudero and Poe belong to the majority bloc in the Senate.

Another administration ally, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, meanwhile, believes the Aquino administration had “legal basis and noble objective” when they implemented the controversial program

Trillanes said Aquino was able to enumerate in his speech some of the gains brought about by the DAP.

“We’ll now await PNoy’s promise to provide details as to where the DAP funds ended up so that the public would know if the funds were stolen or not,” he said.