The list of projects funded by the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) released by the government confirms its nature as presidential pork barrel, said research group IBON. A scrutiny of the list also confirms that the DAP-funded projects did not benefit the economy. Malacanang is said to appeal before the High Court today its decision on the unconstitutionality of the DAP. However, in an examination of the list IBON found the following items: • At least Php17.3 billion was given as Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF-type funding to fund priority local projects nationwide requested by legislators, local government officials and national agencies. There were three allotment releases for these in the amounts of Php6.5 billion (approved by the office of the president on October 12, 2011), Php8.1 billion (June 27, 2012) and Php2.8 billion (December 21, 2012) • At least Php30.7 billion worth of large lump-sum items were also approved including: Php10.1 billion for ambiguously titled various infrastructure projects, various local projects and various priority projects especially by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); Php7.8 billion to local government units consisting for an LGU support fund, performance challenge fund, and development assistance to Quezon province; and Php10.9 billion for supposedly peace and development-related projects. There was also Php2.0 billion for national roads in the presidents home province of Tarlac and even Php43 million for capacity-building of NGOs and peoples organizations • At least Php47.5 billion was also used for items with minimal contribution to the DAPs declared intent of stimulating the local economy. These include at least Php3.7 billion for improving government offices, purchasing information technology equipment, a global tourism media campaign, and others. The government offices improved included of Malacañang (Php20 million), Department of Interior and Local Government (Php100 million), Department of Tourism (Php200 million), National Economic and Development Authority (Php207 million) and Philippine Institute of Development Studies (Php100 million). Also with minimal stimulus effect were Php7.6 billion worth of projects to the Light Rail Transit Authority, Department of Science and Technology, some hospitals and others which were spent on largely imported equipment and supplies or training of employees for foreign BPO firms. Lastly, there was a huge Php36.1 billion of mainly financial transfers and payments especially for recapitalization of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas but also including various equity infusions or payments of financial obligations of government agencies. According to IBON, Pres. Benigno Aquino dispensed these billions of pesos to legislators, agencies, local government units and beneficiaries at his discretion, for purposes that he defined unilaterally, and with only a semblance of legality. All these make the controversial DAP consistent with being pork barrel while not directly resulting in broad benefits to Filipinos, the group said. Pres. Aquino has admitted impatience with the prescribed budget process and short-cutting this to supposedly be able to deliver services more efficiently and immediately to the people. The profile of the projects funded by DAP do not fit with either delivering services to the people or stimulating the economy. The case of the DAP illustrates how the abuse of presidential powers and discretion makes hundreds of billions of pesos in public funds vulnerable to use for patronage and partisan politics and, at worst, corruption.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 04:35:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015