DESPITE persistent criticisms that many of the multibillion-peso fund releases covered projects that were not seen to prime the economy, Malacañang insisted on Thursday that the outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) “helped spur economic growth.”
Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. reminded reporters at a Palace briefing that no less than President Aquino himself had repeatedly affirmed that the implementation of the DAP, which the Supreme Court has unanimously ruled as unconstitutional, boosted government efforts to improve the economy.
Coloma also cited the World Bank’s acknowledgement that the DAP benefited the economy.
“Makailang pagkakataon ng ipinahayag mismo ng Pangulo ang kanyang paninindigan na nakabuti ang DAP sa pagtamo ng layunin na pabilisin ang pag-unlad ng ating bansa habang ito ay ipinapatupad,” Coloma said.
The Palace official downplayed findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) that the DAP, purported to be an economic-stimulus scheme, was actually “ineffective” as the multibillion-peso funds released under the program, particularly to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), were not properly used.
The COA’s 2013 Annual Financial Report also directed at least four GOCCs to refund over P2.4 billion in unused funds supposed to have been disbursed for fast-moving projects.
But Coloma pointed out that under existing rules, the GOCCs, before being ordered to return the DAP funds, should first be given time to explain the audit findings.