Binay says DAP also unconstitutional

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay said the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers and Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) are both unconstitutional.

“With the declaration (by the Supreme Court) of PDAF as unconstitutional, it is now very difficult not to also declare DAP as unconstitutional,” said Binay, speaking from a lawyer’s point of view and in his own personal opinion.

The SC had declared PDAF or the pork barrel of lawmakers as unconstitutional last Tuesday.

Binay told local businessmen and newsmen during a press conference here last Wednesday that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad was wrong when he used the savings of various departments for the so-called DAP. These savings should only be for the exclusive use of the respective agencies as their supplemental budget.

“Many are saying that there’s no such thing as DAP… What Mr. Abad did was unconstitutional. If PDAF was declared unconstitutional, it will be very difficult now to justify and declare DAP as constitutional,” Binay said.

He said Abad justified the use of DAP for various purposes, but that the issue wasn’t where it was used but rather “that they get all the savings from departments and named it DAP.”

Binay said PDAF actually is not bad at all if it has been properly used as it should be and the fund could have helped many poor Filipinos like providing scholarships to poor students in remote areas and healthcare for indigent patients.

He said that the mistake of lawmakers was when they meddled in the spending of the PDAF that went to several fake nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas said that scholars and poor patients that are beneficiaries of the PDAF are now in a quandary after the SC declared the pork barrel illegal.

Matugas claimed that with PDAF now gone, his scholars and indigent patients will be hard put to pay for their needs.

He said that aside from infrastructure projects, his yearly PDAF also provides scholarships and health assistance to poor citizens.

Lawyer Manuelito Delani, formerly of Integrated Bar of the Philippines Surigao del Norte chapter and legal counsel of the local business groups, hailed the SC decision declaring PDAF as unconstitutional.

“From the very start it (PDAF) was unconstitutional and I salute the present Supreme Court justices for showing courage and independence,” Delani said.

Two days after the pork barrel fund was declared unconstitutional, Malacañang still could not make up its mind if the SC decision is a defeat or a victory.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma said Aquino wants a comprehensive study of the 14-0 unanimous decision of the justices. – With Delon Porcalla