DAP funds spent irrationally –militant group

Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Tuesday alleged that funds from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) were spent on projects aimed to advance the political agenda of administration allies.

Citing a recent tabulation by the Computer Professionals Union (CPU), an organization composed of IT professionals, Bayan said that out of the P12.94 billion DAP funds released to lawmakers and local officials from 2011 to 2013, majority were spent on not-so-urgent projects, contrary to the administration's claim that the DAP served as the government's stimulus spending mechanism to spur economic growth.

“The DAP spending of politicians show an irrational disbursement scheme that is based solely on the discretion of politicians rather than on actual needs and the overall development thrusts of the so-called stimulus program,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

The Supreme Court has unanimously declared parts of the DAP as unconstitutional, although the Aquino administration, which has repeatedly defended the DAP, has filed an appeal challenging the decision.

DAP projects

According to the CPU report, of the P12.94 billion DAP funds released to lawmakers and local officials, P1.9 billion went to barangay road projects implemented a year before the 2013 midterm elections.

“Another proof that DAP was pork was the use of hundreds of millions for the construction of barangay roads, timed one year before the 2013 midterm elections. The barangay road is the quintessential pork barrel project used for patronage politics at the local level,” Reyes said.

“There is no explanation why such projects would be the top recipient under a stimulus program other than the reality that these projects are intended to boost the electoral bid of politicians” he added.

The second biggest DAP funds went to flood control systems at P1.25 billion, followed by livelihood projects at P1.19 billion.

Fake NGO's

Bayan pointed out that based on the testimony of Benhur Luy, the primary whistleblower in the alleged pork barrel scam, some P475 million in DAP for livelihood projects were funneled to fake non-government organizations (NGOs) associated with alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

“If true, this means that 40 percent of the DAP for livelihood projects ended up with fake NGO's,” he said.

Meanwhile, fourth on the CPU list of projects that receieved the highest DAP funding was scholarships (P94 million), followed by various “road projects” (P867 million) and medical assistance (P818.8 million).

On the other hand, agri-related projects that may have helped economic growth in the countryside were among those that received the least DAP funding. These projects included farm-to-market roads (P31.4 million), irrigation (P3 million) and rural electrification (P1 million).

Sports development programs, which included the purchase of uniforms and trophies, meanwhile, got P126.6 million DAP funding.

Redundant

Reyes pointed out that some projects are redundant and is based solely on the discretion of officials rather than on the actual needs in the localities.

Reyes cited as example in the CPU report that while P1.9 billion DAP funds were used for barangay roads, P867 million in DAP were used for other “roads,” P302 million for various LGU infrastructure, P453 million for “financial assistance to LGU's” and P734.8 million for “multi-purpose buildings”.

“These items run in the billions and should have been part of the General Appropriations Act, instead of being proposed by individual lawmakers and local officials,” he said.

Reyes also noted that while P781 million in DAP was used for “social services,” another P510 million from DAP was used for “comprehensive integrated delivery of social services” or CIDSS.

“Why do we need P1.29 billion in pork barrel for social services when these services can be directly funded through the national budget? Why spend through the politicians? Why doesn't government provide these services directly to the people?” Reyes asked.

Recipients

According to the CPU tabulation, House Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. topped the list of lawmakers who received the highest DAP funding—P428.8 million—that was mostly spent on the construction of barangay roads.

Second on the list was Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III (P321.5 million), followed by former senator and current Presidential Assistant for Food Security Francis Pangilinan (P295.8), Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya (P281.5 million), and Senate President Franklin Drilon (P261.2 million)

Bayan noted that Drilon spent most of his DAP, or about P100 million, for the construction of the controversial Iloilo Convention Center.

The CPU data showed that most of the congressmen who received DAP funding spent it on barangay roads, amounting in total to P965.6 million, while senators spent most of their DAP on livelihood projects amounting P940 million.

“It has been nearly three years since the first DAP memorandum was signed by the President in October 12, 2011. Up to now, the Aquino government cannot fully account how the funds were spent. What is clear to us is that the DAP was dispensed as pork barrel funds,” Reyes said. —Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News