Palace: Lies on DAP must stop

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang scored yesterday the “lies and deception” being spread with regard to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), saying only parts of the Supreme Court (SC) decision on the matter were being highlighted, apparently to put the administration in a bad light.

While the next administration could look into the DAP, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said there seemed to be a “disinformation” going on because the SC ruling on the government’s motion for reconsideration upheld the operative fact doctrine that governed the DAP implementation.

“In that decision, the high court categorically ruled on and upheld the presumption of regularity in the implementation of DAP,” Coloma said.

“In other words, the program’s authors, sponsors and implementers must be presumed to have acted in good faith and with regularity in the performance of their official duties,” he added.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines or IBP has expressed support for the plan of incoming justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to look into the liabilities of officials of the outgoing administration for the alleged unconstitutional acts under the DAP.

Coloma said over radio dzRB that as Chief Executive, Aquino faithfully followed the Constitution and the laws of the land.

“When we say President Aquino, of course that includes the whole of the executive department,” Coloma said.

The Palace official said the SC also recognized the positive impacts of DAP after it helped boost public spending and propped up the economy.

“Maybe we should reiterate that fact, because it is quite obvious that when this issue is discussed, we only hear one side, only those against the DAP, those who continue to destroy the government despite the decision of the high court,” Coloma said.