More senators explain use of DAP funds

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MANILA – More senators have identified the projects they funded under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) in response to Malacanang’s challenge to explain how they spent their respective DAP funds.

Sen. Sergio Osmena III said he received P50 million out of the P1.1 billion DAP funds released to 19 senators in December 2012, six months after the impeachment of former Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona.

The DAP funds had been released to Osmena in five tranches, with the biggest at P12 million used for the rehabilitation of local roads, highways and bridges in Regions 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao) and 13 (Caraga).

Former Sen. Edgardo Angara also identified the projects funded by his own P50 million allocation from DAP.

Angara said his DAP fund went to five infrastructure projects under contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) through open and transparent bidding.

”Three of the five projects went to provinces in dire need of development funds and infra upgrading — Abra, Antique and Cagayan,” Angara said in a press statement.

He said the remaining two project — one for flood control and the other for road widening — went to Quezon City projects that were deemed as vital by the QC engineering District.

The five projects, according to the DPWH, had been satisfactorily completed.

Earlier, Senators Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero and Senate President Franklin Drilon explained their respective DAP allocations.

Drilon and Escudero as well as former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile got P100 million from DAP while the rest received P50 million each.

Others who received DAP funds were Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel Villar, Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto, Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan, Aquilino Pimentel III, Teofisto Guingona III and Francis Pangilinan.

Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Senators Panfilo Lacson and Joker Arroyo did not get DAP funds in 2012.