NBI urged to focus on solving crime instead of DAP

Senator Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Pia Cayetano has urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to use its time solving the crimes in the country instead of investigating the controversial Disbursement Acceleration (DAP).

After all, Cayetano said the books of all senators were open to the public.

“Mga kababayan, hindi kailangan ng NBI para mag imbestiga. Napaka simple naman nito, kahit sinong marunong magbasa at mag open ng internet, makikita naman nila na yung mga request namin for allocation, based   dun sa binibigay sa amin na allotment, sinasabmit namin sa DBM (Deparment of Budget and Management),” she told reporters Tuesday.

(There is no need for the NBI to investigate. This is very simple, anyone who knows how to read and open the internet can see our request for allocations based on the allotments that were given to us that we submit to the DBM)

“So huwag na natin abalahin ang NBI, marami tayong unsolved crimes. Yun na lang ho ang gawin nila. I for one, and I’m certain the books of all the senators are open naman ho ang aming books, kung saan naming nilagay etong mga allotments,” she said.

(So let’s not bother the NBI, we have many unsolved crimes. They should focus on that. I, for one, and I’m certain the books of all senators are open, where we put all our allotments)

Cayetano was reacting to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima’s order to the NBI to look into reports that some senators had coursed their DAP funding to bogus non-government organizations allegedly owned by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Also responding to Malacanang’s call for senators to account their DAP funds, Cayetano made public the list of projects worth P50 million funded in 2013 under the DAP.

But she insisted that she was not aware about the DAP until it was identified by Malacanang.

Cayetano said all the while she thought the funds were her amendments to the 2013 budget requested by then the chairman of the committee on finance and now Senate President Franklin Drilon.

She was referring to Drilon’s “private and confidential” letter dated Aug. 13, 2012 asking her “to submit to Dir Gen. Yolanda Doblon on or before August 31, 2012 P50 million worth of infrastructure projects, which you wish to be funded in 2012.” Her office later furnished the media a copy of the letter.

“So never ko pang narinig yung term na DAP. Basta ang natanggap ko ay sulat na nakalagay ay amendments,” Cayetano said.

(So I never heard the term DAP. What I received was a letter which contained the amendments)

Nevertheless, the senator said that the funds went to her 14 projects, most of them have been completed except for four or five that have yet to be finished.

“So I go back to the question meron ba kaming ginawang mali? Well, I can only speak for myself. Dito ho napunta sa pet projects. It did not go to anyone personal, wala pong NGO. They are all government agencies,” she said.

(So I go back to the question, did we do something wrong? Well, I can only speak for myself. [My funds] went to my pet projects. It did not go to anyone personal, there was no NGO. They are all government agencies)

“The manner of which I allocated or chose of these projects was in line with our current practices and acceptable procedures. [Remember that] we have legal principles that say that the act of government officials have the presumption of regulatory and there is also a presumption of validity of every law,” the senator said.

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