Noy to explain DAP directly to people in sorties

MANILA, Philippines - As opposition to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) persists even after his televised defense of the program, President Aquino is going to the grassroots to turn the tide of public opinion in his favor.

This was according to Press Secretary Herminio Coloma, who said that the President would also get his Cabinet officials involved in the renewed drive to drum up support for DAP from Metro Manila to the farthest regions and towns.

“Suffice it to say that the President is prepared to engage the public in a dialogue. And he also wants the members of his Cabinet to discuss these issues with their respective stakeholder groups,” Coloma told reporters yesterday.

“We reiterate government’s willingness to conduct continuing dialogues with our people, especially in the regions and provinces, to ensure adequate understanding of the issues that will enable them to make correct choices and decisions in matters affecting their communities and the country’s future,” Coloma said in a statement.

He said Aquino believes such strategy is needed for the government to send its message across and for the general public to appreciate the issues at hand.

“This will be on a regular basis, and we will try our best to help in expanding further the avenues for dialogue,” Coloma said.

“The President will also be provided help by members of the Cabinet because they are the ones in charge of implementing the government’s programs, and that includes the campaign against graft and corruption,” he stressed.

“He is the President of all Filipinos and he is ready to dialogue with them in all regions and in all provinces,” Coloma added.

Coloma said Aquino acknowledges the need for the public to be more vigilant and always ready to “participate in the process of ensuring transparency and accountability.”

“What we need to achieve here is the clarity of issues and for the public to understand what the Aquino government is doing to deliver the basic services to them in a most effective way,” he said.

“It is also important that we are able to implement the programs of government to reduce graft and corruption, and that in itself is a contribution of this administration’s concrete steps towards greater accountability, transparency,” he added.

Nothing new

Coloma also said that while DAP would take center stage in the discussions with communities, there is nothing new with the President’s touching base with the grassroots as he had been interacting directly with the people ever since.

He said the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which he heads, is coordinating with public information offices in all agencies across the country.

“This will be in a continuing basis away from the glare of the spotlight and sometimes this is featured only in the community level,” he said. “So this is nothing new, and this is not a result or borne out of the current controversy,” Coloma clarified.

“The national government continues to reach out and inform our people of the issues that are confronting our nation and also to propagate a deeper understanding of the Philippine Development Plan on which the national budget is based,” he explained.

Coloma also stressed Aquino is keeping an “open mind” on the DAP issue.

“The President is always willing to listen and the President is willing to communicate. Communication does not become effective if one party is not willing to listen,” Coloma added.

“The President has consistently said that he wants to do right by our people and he wants to fulfill their mandate. So whatever actions he will be taking would be in accordance with these guiding principles,” he told Palace reporters.

When asked of the possibility of Aquino changing his mind on DAP, Coloma replied: “The President has always been open to feedback from our people and to knowing their real sentiments.”

Malacañang, he added, is willing to work more closely with Congress in responding to public clamor for reforms.

While the House of Representatives has already decided to transfer the discretionary powers of congressmen over their lump sum allocations to implementing agencies, he said the national government is still awaiting the decision of the Senate. Paolo Romero, Ric Sapnu, Edu Punay, Perseus Echeminada, Lalaine Jimenea