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Joker: DAP is unconstitutional

Joker: DAP is unconstitutional

Former Sen. Joker Arroyo said the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is unconstitutional, adding that no law mentions or supports its existence.

“This is a criminal and unconstitutional measure. Kasi you will see sa budget wala yun.
There's no authorization for anyone to appropriate that money and spend it. No money should be paid out of the treasury except for issuance of appropriations made by law,” Arroyo told ABS-CBN.

“Hindi ito re-alignment, ito pinanggagastos pero walang batas to support it,” he added.

Arroyo was named by the Budget Department as one of the senators who received additional funds after the Corona impeachment trial. The former senator denied receiving any money from the DAP.

The DBM released on Monday a letter from Arroyo’s office requesting for additional funds to fund infrastructure projects and medical assistance programs.

The letter, the DBM said, was used as the basis for releasing the P47 million to Arroyo which was charged from the DAP.

"Sen. Arroyo was correct in saying that these funds were not sourced from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), as he never made use of his PDAF allocations. However, the P47 million that the DBM released for projects endorsed by Sen. Arroyo's office was charged from DAP," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said in a statement.

The Palace has earlier defended the DAP which was designed by DBM to increase spending and spur economic growth.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said there is legal basis citing the Article 6, Section 25 of the Constitution which states the President may be authorized by law to “augment any item in the general appropriations law from savings in another items of their respective appropriations.”




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