Multi-sectoral alliance Abolish Pork Movement on Monday urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to examine the disbursement of at least 12 big-scale projects funded by the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) worth almost P60 billion pesos.
The alliance, led by Mother Mary John Mananzan and University of the Philippines Prof. Judy Taguiwal and composed of religious and progressive groups, anti-corruption advocates, lawyers, and academic representatives, flocked to the office of COA Chair Grace Pulido-Tan in Quezon, City, Monday morning to hand their letter request.
“Several of the projects included in the DBM [Department of Budget and Management] submissions could hardly be considered as having a positive impact on economic growth. Too many items appear to be in line with presidential pork spending and as such are very vulnerable to corrupt practices like those that attended the congressional pork,” the group said in the letter addressed to Tan, a copy of which was furnished to Manila Bulletin Online.
The group insisted that DAP serves as the “pork barrel” of President Benigno Aquino, which could be use for projects without the authorization of the Congress which has the sole power on the purse.
The group is among those who petitioned the DAP before the Supreme Court challenging its constitutionality, oral arguments for which is scheduled on Tuesday, February 18. The SC has already ruled that “pork barrel” or the Priority Development Assistance fund is unconstitutional.
The following are the projects that the movements wants to be audited:
1. P5.432 billion worth of funds allocated to the Department of Agrarian Reform for the compensation of landlords.
2. P1.819 billion Office of the Presidential Adviser of Peace Process (OPAPP) funds for so-called peace projects related to peace pacts in the past years.
3. P5.5 billion allocated for “various infrastructure projects”, usually quick-disbursing projects below P40 million and often upon recommendation of elected officials.
4. P6.5 billion “Local Government Units support fund” of the Interior and Local Government and DBM, supposedly for “LGU’s requiring financial assistance to implement projects under a prescribed menu” in 2011.
5. P8.592 billion Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Transition and Investment Support Plan that covers such general goals as the “creation of enabling environment for Public Private Partnership towards equitable growth, improvement of public safety and security, cleansing the electoral system” in 2011.
6. P250 million Performance Challenge Fund for the “People Powered Community Driven Development” project as a poverty alleviation program in 2011.
7. P6.5 billion DAP funds to augment existing PDAF projects in 2011.
8. P2-billion worth of national roads project for Tarlac, Aquino’s home province in 2012.
9. P1.8 billion for the “Tulay ng Pangulo para sa Kaunlaran” in 2012 which started under the Arroyo administration and continued by Aquino.
10. P5-billion worth Tourism Road Infrastructure Project (2012)
11. P8.295 billion for so-called “priority local projects nationwide” in 2012.
12. P1.6 billion for the “Capability Requirements for the Operations of the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea”
These 12 DAP projects are only a fraction of the 116 projects funded by the controversial DAP, the group said.
“The DAP projects listed by the DBM run in the billions and should also be given attention by the Commission. An extensive audit of DAP projects is necessary and is responsive to the public outcry for greater transparency and accountability in government spending regardless of party affiliations,” the group said.
“It is our hope that the COA will look into these disbursements and ascertain the status of these projects and how the funds were utilized, if the Commission has not yet done so,” it added.
Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said the COA is obliged to make an audit of these big-time projects same the way it did in other government programs.
The COA report on congressional pork barrel is one the evidences that showed how lawmakers’ funds were misused and funneled to bogus non government organizations (NGOs).
“The should act on it. They audited DAP of PhilForest, they should do the same here,” he told Manila Bulletin Online.
Reyes is referring to the Philippine Forest Corp., an agro-forestry agency which was found to have dealt with fake NGOs to access pork barrel. The PhilForest, among other agencies, is set to be abolished after the pork barrel investigation.