Aquino, Abad face new complaint for PDAF, DAP

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III is facing another complaint on the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) chief and presidential aspirant Augusto Syjuco Jr. on Friday filed a complaint against Aquino, Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

“This Complaint for Investigation focuses on BS Aquino’s sins in the agricultural sector, which our poor farmers continue to bear inabject destitution and economic bondage,” Syjuco said in his complaint.

Syjuco said Aquino and the other respondents must be held liable for the Department of Agriculture's (DA) alleged misuse of DAP funds and several lawmakers' misuse of their PDAF.

The petitioner claimed that the DA misused an estimated P14.4 billion of its public funds on questionable programs and projects.

"Many of these projects, which included construction of farm-to-market roads, credit financing for livestock sector and financial assistance for the cultivation of commercial crops, were left incomplete or lacked necessary documents,” Syjuco said.

He based his claims on a series of annual audit reports by the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA's reports showed that the DA's attached agency, the National Livelihood and Development Corporation, allegedly misused P235-million worth of PDAF from seven lawmakers.

The funds were allegedly allocated to four fake non-government organizations (NGOs) linked with alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Meanwhile, the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC), also under the DA, allegedly misused funds of several lawmakers worth P199.4 million from 2012 to 2013 by allocating the funds supposedly for livelihood projects to NGOs linked to Napoles and businessman Godofredo Roque.

“In its annual audit report of the NAFC, COA said projects under the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund were implemented without bidding and proof that the recipients benefitted from livelihood projects involving vegetables and earthworms,” Syjuco added.

Syjuco also claimed that the National Agribusiness Corporation allegedly misused DAP and PDAF funds for various livelihood projects worth P5 million.

“In sum, DA squandered P14.4 billion in public fund including DAP and PDAF funds,” Syjuco said.

Last week, Syjuco also filed a complaint against Aquino and Abad over the DAP and PDAF but refused to specify the charges he wanted filed against the respondents.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier started an investigation on Aquino and Abad in  relation to the controversial DAP.

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