PNoy could be impeached for DAP - Diokno

President Aquino could face impeachment for the Disbursement Allocation Program (DAP), an economist said Wednesday.

“I think it is culpable violation of the Constitution because this can’t happen without his approval,” UP School of Economics Professor and former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart. He was asked if Aquino could be impeached for the controversy surrounding the DAP.

Diokno insisted that the Aquino government cannot augment funding for new projects and can only add funds to existing projects.

"The Constitution is very clear. It says no law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriation, but they allow the augmentation of existing budget items in the budget—the President, the Senate President. That’s a technical term, they can augment the budget. It has to be there already out of savings from other appropriations. That means if this is an entirely a new project, you cannot do that, it has zero appropriation."

Diokno cited the P750 million assistance to the Quezon Province funded by the DAP which, according to him, was not in the 2011 budget.

Instead of coming up with DAP to boost the economy, the Palace should have just asked for a supplemental budget from Congress.

He added that if Malacañang was not keen on seeking a supplemental budget, then the projects which have no current allocations but need funding should have been deferred for the next fiscal year.

The Palace earlier said the DAP was created to increase spending, spur economic growth, and is legal.

READ MORE: PNoy approved DAP; Palace insists it's legal

More of Headstart, here.