Why LP members got big chunk of DAP funds

By: DJ Yap - 10 years ago

Former Cavite Rep. and now Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines—Liberal Party (LP) members got the biggest chunks of funds from the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as a natural consequence of their numbers, according to the party’s acting president, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

“The dominant party LP is the biggest party, so it’s a logical consequence. It would get more DAP [funds] due to sheer numbers,” Abaya told reporters in the House of Representatives on the sidelines of the plenary budget debates.

“If [the biggest party] were UNA (United Nationalist Alliance), they would get more DAP [funds]. It’s just a mathematical consequence of things,” said Abaya, a former Cavite representative who emerged as the lawmaker with the biggest slice of the DAP pie, at P408 million.

Abaya said, however, that he actually received only P281 million from the DAP between 2011 and 2013, as verified by his former staff.

Tiangco’s list

A list of top DAP fund recipients in Congress, based on budget department figures, was released by UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco on Tuesday, but the accuracy of the list has been disputed.

Most of the lawmakers who cornered the DAP funds were LP members, according to the list.

The DAP, an economic stimulus program launched in 2011, was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on July 1.

UNA was organized this week as the political party to launch Vice President Jejomar Binay’s presidential bid in 2016.

Abaya said he saw nothing new about the party.

“Honestly, personally, I was expecting a new name, a new party. Of course, more choices for the people [are] contributory to a vibrant democracy,” he said.

“They’ve been around, [so there’s] nothing new,” Abaya said when asked if he thought the party would be a formidable opponent.

Roxas is top choice

He reiterated the position of most other LP leaders that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas remained their top choice for standard-bearer in 2016, even though no official declaration has been made to that effect.

But Abaya admitted that some members of the administration party are concerned that other parties are already “preparing to think of full-time politics.”

“We think of [politics] during our free time, which is hardly enough,” he said.

“It’s a tough call. It’s a tough place to be in, especially as you can see our members are serving full-time. They’re leaders of the House, of the Senate, the President… we don’t have the luxury of time,” Abaya said.