Senate body junks Abad’s bid to move appearance in DAP hearing after Sona

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Senate finance committee has rejected Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad’s request to testify on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) after the President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).

Instead, the committee agreed to move the hearing originally scheduled Monday, July 21, to Thursday, July 24.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chairman of the committee, said Abad wrote the body, requesting that he be allowed to testify before it on July 30, or two days before President Benigno Aquino’s Sona on July 28.

In his letter, Escudero said, Abad explained that the Department of Budget and Management, which he heads, was “heavily swamped with preparations for the national budget.”

Abad also indicated that the DBM was “in the midst of finalizing the proposed 2015 budget and the President’s budget message in preparation for submission to Congress” on  July 30  as part of the reasons for the postponement request.

He said he was also involved in drafting the President’s speech.

“Yes we understand that the budget season is here. We considered and thus agreed to postpone the hearing but only until July 24 and with the understanding that Secretary Abad should be there,” Escudero said in a statement on Friday.

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