Tiangco says lawmakers cornered P8.8 B in DAP funds

MANILA, Philippines – Senators and congressmen appeared to have cornered a total of P8.8 billion in funds from the administration’s controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Based on a tally made by Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco from a two-inch-thick DAP report Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has given him, congressmen were allocated P5.041 billion, while senators received P3.785 billion.

Tiangco, secretary-general of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), said Abad earlier informed him that about P11 billion in DAP funds was allotted to senators and congressmen.

This means that more than P2 billion remains unaccounted for, Tiangco said.

His summary shows that among senators, Teofisto Guingona III received the biggest allocation of P360.5 million, followed by (former senator) Francis Pangilinan, P311 million; Aquilino Pimentel III, P258 million; Loren Legarda, P250 million; Juan Ponce Enrile, P249 million; Gregorio Honasan, P238 million; Francis Escudero, P235 million; Ralph Recto, P233 million; Vicente Sotto III, P214 million; Franklin Drilon, P197 million; and Pia Cayetano, P176 million.

The other senators and their DAP releases are: Alan Peter Cayetano, P160 million; (former senator) Edgardo Angara, P154 million; Ramon Revilla Jr., P115 million; Sergio Osmeña III, P112 million; Jinggoy Estrada, P97 million; Manuel Lapid, P65 million; (former senators) Manuel Villar, P44 million, and Joker Arroyo, P17 million.

Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV received P100 million each.

Tiangco earlier hinted that Drilon was given more than P1 billion in DAP money. Funds released for the Iloilo convention center were counted for him.

The UNA official’s tally shows that among congressmen, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, a former Cavite congressman and House appropriations committee chairman, received the biggest allocation of P408 million.

Abaya served as manager of the House panel that prosecuted then chief justice Renato Corona in his Senate impeachment trial.

Second in Tiangco’s list is Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., P297 million; majority leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, P263 million; former Rep. Erineo Maliksi of Cavite, P218 million; former Rep. Florencio Noel of An Waray, P179 million; Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad, P177 million; former Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis, P160 million; former Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, P124 million; former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, P121 million and Batangas Rep. Nelson Collantes, P110 million.

Other lawmakers with huge allocations included former Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza, P105 million; Ronald Cosalan of Benguet, P102 million; and Bai Sandra Sema of Maguindanao, P100 million; a certain Singson, P100 million and a certain Madianas, P100 million.

Reached for comment, Belmonte said in a text message: “Not aware of it or how accurate it is. But of course, as Speaker, I sometimes share (my allocations) with colleagues.”

Gonzales disputed the figure listed for him by Tiangco, saying his records reflect that his district was allocated only P201 million for 2011-2012.

“All were coursed through the city government of Mandaluyong as implementing agency. None of the money went to a non-government organization (NGO). I did not know that the funds came from DAP. But more importantly, the city government of Mandaluyong returned P180 million to the Bureau of Treasury this year. I have a copy of the receipt to prove it,” he said.

Gonzales and Mayor Benhur Abalos and his father, former city mayor and elections commission chairman Benjamin Abalos, who are former political allies, have reportedly parted ways.

Noel said he can fully account for his DAP allocation: “P30 million went to the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), P20 million to various infrastructure projects, P12 million to scholarships, P4 million to PhilHealth, and the balance to 43 towns in Samar-Leyte and Biliran,” he said.

The DAP releases were apparently on top of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations.

Each senator had P200 million a year from PDAF, while each member of the House of Representatives had P70 million a year.

The Supreme Court struck down the PDAF as unconstitutional in November last year.  – With Jose Rodel Clapano