Militant lawmakers want policies, provisions on DAP junked

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Militant lawmakers on Monday called for the scrapping of policies and provisions in the national budget which they claim are being used to justify the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Makabayan Coalition, in a statement, said government should revoke National Budget Circular 541 which supposedly justifies the DAP and allows the withdrawal of funds unobligated or allotted for slow moving projects.

They also called for the strengthening of the “no impoundment provision” in the General Appropriations Act by deleting clauses that allows exemptions to congressional approval.

Makabayan Coalition, a group of partylist lawmakers, include representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna), Luz Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus (Gabriela Women’s Party), Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), Fernando Hicap (Anakpawis) and Terry Ridon (Kabataan)

“DAP has no legal leg to stand on. The constitutional provision on the realignment of savings within the office of the president and the impoundment provision of the GAA (General Appropriations Act) on the condition of uncontrolled budgetary deficits are not applicable,” the group said.

The DAP has been making headlines for the last several weeks with allegations that it was used as incentive to impeach former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

However, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said DAP should not be likened to lump sum items such as the equally controversial Priority Development and Assistance Fund (PDAF).

DBM said the DAP is not a fund but a mechanism that allowed the executive to tap and realign savings for priority projects.

Makabayan Coalition said such a mechanism was unconstitutional since the so-called savings realigned under the DAP were transferred even before the end of the fiscal year and before the projects were terminated.

“No part of a fund appropriated for a fiscal year can be deemed as savings and redirected  to DAP before the end of that fiscal year…Second, the DAP funds do not fall into the category of savings under the law because the projects where these funds were collected from have not been completed,” the group said.

The group also reiterated their calls to abolish the DAP, all lump sum and discretionary funds.