Ex-lawmaker wants debate with Drilon on DAP

MANILA, Philippines - After filing his fourth plunder complaint against Senate President Franklin Drilon, former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. also challenged the senator to a public debate on the issue of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

In an open letter to Filipinos given to media when the latest criminal charges against the senator were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday, Syjuco dared Drilon to face him in a one-on-one debate to discuss which came first, “the pork or the pig.”

“I ask Mr. Drilon to accept this challenge in the interest of truth and the strong sense of righteousness of our people, by our people, and for our people,” Syjuco declared.

He said reputable people’s organizations like the Philippine Constitutional Assembly (Philconsa) or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) should organize the debate.

Syjuco’s latest plunder charges against Drilon, his fourth excluding a fifth complaint for graft lodged last week, accused the Senate President of using the DAP to bribe fellow senators to convict then chief justice Renato Corona in May 2012.

“The conviction and removal from office of (Corona) was ensured by respondent Franklin Magtunao Drilon at a very high price, the amount, a staggering P1,010,500,000,” he said.

“This is the amount of public money which respondent... Drilon unlawfully used to facilitate his devious scheme of bribing and paying off senator-judges, especially himself, to vote for the conviction and impeachment of (Corona),” his complaint read.

Syjuco said the DAP was allegedly established in October 2011 or two months before the Senate convened as an impeachment court.

On Nov. 22, 2011, Drilon, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, wrote letters to the senators to submit a list of their priority projects.

After Corona was convicted on May 29, 2012, those who voted to remove the chief magistrate from office received their DAP allocations, including Drilon himself who received the biggest amount of P100 million.

“The focus of this complaint is the scandalous, unlawful and felonious acts of respondent... Drilon in bribing and paying off several legislators, herein referred to as Senator John Does and Senator Jane Does, for their votes of a guilty verdict which led to the impeachment and removal from office of former chief justice... Corona,” Syjuco said.

“Being the mastermind, respondent Drilon and giver of funds, he was thinking way ahead of everyone else when he commenced the implementation of his nefarious scheme,” his complaint read.

Apart from plunder, Syjuco said Drilon should be charged with theft, bribery, misfeasance, graft and corruption, soliciting or accepting gifts, and deception or lying.