Mar bows to SC, puts projects on hold

MANILA, Philippines - More than P2 billion worth of projects of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) eyed for funding under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) have been put on the back burner, Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.

“We will temporarily postpone the implementation of these projects in deference to the Supreme Court decision,” Roxas said, referring to the high court’s ruling on the unconstitutionality of some portions of DAP.

Roxas has ordered a review of the projects which have yet to be awarded to contractors in a public bidding.

The DILG chief did not name the projects, but the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership earlier announced it might have to cut by half its planned purchase this year of 1,865 units of patrol jeeps, reportedly due to budget constraint.

Roxas also clarified that the funds being distributed to the mayors and governors by the DILG to support their programs “are being given out equally” to the officials “regardless of their political affiliations based on the proposals they and the people’s organizations had proposed to combat poverty in their communities.”