Drilon answers Robin Padilla's resign call, defends DAP

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon hit back at actor Robin Padilla, who has asked the lawmaker to resign after he received P100 million sourced from the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Drilon on Tuesday brushed off Padilla's call, saying "there was nothing wrong, illegal, and immoral" in receiving the P100 million worth of infrastructure projects under the DAP.

"I think Padilla got it all wrong," Drilon said in a statement. "It's not like I pocketed P100 million in kickbacks. The DAP allocation is not cold cash and but was merely a list of infrastructure projects recommended by legislators and local government officials to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways."

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said last week several senators received additional funds after the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona last year.

The Department of Budget and Management then revealed that the additional funds were from the government's DAP, with Drilon receiving P100 million in December 2012.

The Senate President has admitted receiving the funds but claimed that he did not commit a wrongdoing.

“That I admitted receiving P100 million in DAP funds was not like I admitted committing a crime. On the contrary, I was only doing my role in helping prime the economy that was needed at that time," the senator said.

In his Instagram account, Padilla posted a manipulated photo of Drilon and urged him to step down amid the DAP controversy.

"Ngayon senador ipakita mo sa mga kabataang Pilipino ang delikadeza at karangalan na inyong sinumpaan... hinihingi ng Mapayapang Rebolosyon ang inyong pagbibitiw at harapin ang paglilitis ng mga Anak ng Bayan. Oras na para sa tunay na pagbabago at pagkapilipino," Padilla said.

But Drilon lamented that there was a deliberate attempt to muddle the DAP issue and link it to allegations of pork barrel corruption against allies of the Aquino administration.

Drilon claimed that he used the P100 million for the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center and various projects in the city, which was eyeing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting in 2015

"I can account for every peso that I received and I do not have a history of malfeasance and misuse of government funds. I am sure that that not a single centavo was channeled to bogus non-government organizations linked to Janet Lim-Napoles," Drilon said.