MANILA – A Filipino lawmaker Neri Colmenares has asked President Benigno Aquino and his political allies not to exploit the misfortune of the victims of the deadly quake that hit the provinces of Bohol and Cebu in central Philippines to justify the continued use of the controversial Direct Acceleration Program and Priority Development Assistance Fund.
“It is insensitive for the President and his allies to use the sad plight of the quake victims in the Visayas in their drive to maintain the pork barrel system. The President, like all the executive departments in the world, is responsible for delivering aid and services to the people especially victims of calamities,” he said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said Aquino should immediately deliver what he is expected and mandated to do without putting into issue the people’s demand for the abolition of DAP and PDAF.
“While the calamity fund in the previous administration was generally an annual allotment of P2 Billion, Pres. Aquino more than tripled this to P 7.5 Billion in 2012 and another P7.5 Billion in 2013 to supplement the billions already allocated for the calamity fund of local government units,” Colmenares, the senior deputy minority leader, said.
“President Aquino has one billion pesos contingent fund in 2013 on top of the P1.1 Billion quick reaction fund of the Department of National Defense and the Department of Social Work and Development. With the Department of Public Works and Highways having P600 Million and the Department of Education having another P550 Million in QRF funds, Malacanang cannot argue that they will still need the DAP and PDAF to help the victims,” Colmenares said.
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