SC urged to resolve DAP issue

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MANILA – A militant group on Monday is asking the Supreme Court (SC) to make a final resolution on the issue of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Militant group Bayan is hoping to have a final ruling on the issue before the end of this year, and before the General Appropriation Act for 2015 is signed.

They made the call as the court is scheduled to have its regular en banc session on Tuesday.

The SC has declared several provisions and issuances under the DAP as unconstitutional.

Following this declaration, various groups have filed an impeachment complaint against President Aquino for giving his authorization on DAP.

Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said that it is about time to end the DAP issue.

“That the Aquino government has remained unrepentant in its implementation of DAP, even circumventing the ruling of the High Court, shows the urgency in resolving the DAP petitions. It is time to deal the final blow against DAP,” he said.

“It has been four months since the Solgen filed its motion for reconsideration. Meanwhile, Malacanang and its allies in the Lower House have conspired to change the definition of budgetary ‘savings’ so that it could circumvent the SC ruling and empower the president to use public funds as he wishes, outside what is allowed by the General Appropriations Act.

The new definition of ‘savings’ allows the president to treat the budget as his presidential pork barrel fund,” he added.