Abad: SC ‘freezes the bureaucracy’

By: Nestor Corrales - 10 years ago

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad on Tuesday said the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional “freezes the bureaucracy.”

Abad, during the Daylight Dialogue forum at Malacañang, said the decision has made securing reforms in the government harder.

“The difficulty about change is you have to push out of the box,” Abad said citing DAP was a brainchild to push reforms in the government.

He, however, said that the recent decision of the Supreme Court declaring DAP as unconstitutional is bringing them back into the box.

The law, according to him, should legitimize something that has helped the country and the economy.

He cited the high court’s decision and Malacañang’s stand on DAP as what he considers the “differences in the interpretation of the law.”

He said when he held the reins at DBM, the government managed to pass the budget on time for the past years.

According to Abad, government services and projects were properly delivered because of this reform in the budget system.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, meanwhile, backed Abad saying the heavily criticized DAP benefited the Filipino people.

“There is no damage when there is no injury,” Lacierda said saying the DAP has resulted positive effects for the country.

Daylight Dialogue is a forum composed of plenary talks that will “center on renewing trust in government, institutionalizing good governance, and citizen engagement.”