‘Kontra Sona’: Gov’t can’t claim good faith over DAP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zPU9ML0NFc

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives minority floor leader said the Aquino administration could not claim to have good faith in implementing the outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

In his “Kontra Sona” speech on Monday, San Juan City representative Ronaldo Zamora said the President used the national budget as his own “all purpose funds” when he diverted unspent funds to other projects not itemized in the budget.

“These are impounded and reallocated through the DAP. Good faith may not apply to these actions. Ignorance of the law cannot be trained,” Zamora said in his speech of the economy pump-priming mechanism, parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

His speech countered Aquino’s claims in his fifth State of the Nation Address when he cited the beneficiaries of his savings-impounding mechanism.

“They have only themselves to blame…” Zamora said.

One of the practice under DAP outlawed by the high court is the realignment of unspent funds to projects not itemized in the budget law.

Zamora said failing to act on Aquino’s violation of the Constitution “will send a message to plunderers and violators of the Constitution that we don’t care.”

“In effect, it treats the General Appropriations Act (or budget law) as the president’s all-purpose funds, which the president can spend as they choose without regard to the specific purposes in the GAA,” Zamora said.

The lower chamber moves to redefine the term savings to continue the supposed practice of using unspent funds even before the end of the fiscal year.

The DAP became controversial as Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who is detained over the pork barrel scam, said funds from DAP were used as incentives to senators who voted to convict ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.