Creates task force for DAP probe

(UPDATE) The Department of Justice(DOJ) has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate former President Benigno S. Aquino III and several other past and incumbent public officials for possible malversation of public funds in connection with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II issued Department Order No. 749 for the purpose.

The justice chief also issued Department Order No. 751 directing the NBI to create a special task force which will be under the direct supervision of Justice Undersecretary Antonio Kho, Jr.

READ: DOJ orders NBI to probe malversation complaint vs ex-Pres. Noynoy Aquino, et al. pic.twitter.com/sbsKn8Nwkp

— Ina Reformina (@InaReformina) November 24, 2017

Former Manila City Councilor Greco Belgica and the Coalition for
Investigation and Prosecution sought the probe, after they reportedly had a hard time securing the necessary documents pertaining to the DAP and 116 projects under the disbursement program.

Apart from Aquino, Belgica’s group sought an investigation against
former Budget Secretary Butch Abad, former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo, former Transportation and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Franklin Drilon, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, former Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, and Atty. Yolanda D. Doblon (Director General, Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office).

The DAP, instituted during the previous Aquino administration, was raised before the Supreme Court, with the high court striking down several acts and practices under the program as unconstitutional namely,

a) the withdrawal of unobligated allotment from the implementing agencies and the declaration of the withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings prior to the end of the fiscal year and without complying with the statutory definition of savings contained in the General Appropriation Acts (GAAs);

b) the cross-border transfers of the savings of the Executive to augment the appropriations of other offices outside the Executive; and,

c) funding of projects and activities and programs that were not covered by any appropriation in the GAA.

The Supreme Court also declared void the use of unprogrammed funds under the DAP despite the absence of a certification from the National Treasurer that the revenue collections exceeded the revenue targets.

Belgica was one of the petitioners in this case before the high court.

In a statement, Belgica hoped all those responsible for alleged anomalies under the program be held accountable “regardless of political affiliation.”

“We only pray for truth and justice to be served. DAP is a crime that has been declared almost 4 years ago. Its investigation and the prosecution of its perpetrators have been since then by those who committed it and with many of those who still remain in power.

“DOJ and NBI can now use our template to build up cases against all culprits regardless of political affiliation and verify what we
submitted. All our evidence have been submitted to DOJ… Parusahan ang dapat parusahan,” Belgica said.

The DAP was also said to have been used by the previous administration to “bribe” senators into ousting former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial, but officials of the Aquino administration said the program was only intended to spur government spending and economic growth.

The Ombudsman early this year cleared Aquino from charges over the alleged illegal implementation of the P72-billion DAP. Former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad was the only official found liable for its supposed illegal implementation.

• CLEARED AQUINO Ombudsman clears Noy, Relampagos over DAP; Abad liable