Abad maintains innocence; Noy’s exclusion from DAP case questioned

MANILA, Philippines - Former budget secretary Florencio Abad respects the ombudsman’s decision to indict him over the implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) but maintains that he did not personally benefit from it.

A lawmaker who questioned the controversial program meanwhile said former president Benigno Aquino III should also be held liable for it.

Commenting on his indictment, Abad yesterday said he welcomed the dropping of graft, corruption and fund misappropriation charges against him and that the decision would show there were indeed no funds stolen from the government.

The former chief of the Department of Budget and Management had also said in previous interviews there was no bad faith on his and Aquino’s part in undertaking the economic stimulus program.

“As I have always said, although the DAP was ruled as partly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court itself acknowledged that the program helped boost the country’s economy when it was most needed,” Abad said.

They said they were prepared for any case arising out of it.

But Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said the ombudsman’s decision on DAP “is wanting for failing to indict the former president, who was ultimately responsible for DAP.”

“It is highly unacceptable why Aquino was spared when his very signature appears on the DAP (memorandum),” he said.

“Why would an alter ego be punished when his principal remains unscathed? We will definitely file a motion for reconsideration once we officially receive a copy of the decision. We are urging the ombudsman to restudy the case and hold Aquino as well as Abad accountable for DAP,” he said.

Zarate is one of the complainants in the case.

On Tuesday, the ombudsman’s office announced that it has found probable cause to charge Abad for usurpation of legislative authority in connection with the Aquino administration’s economic stimulus program.

The ombudsman dropped charges against the former president and former budget undersecretary Mario Relampagos.

The ombudsman ruled that Abad was guilty of simple misconduct and ordered him suspended for three months. Since Abad stepped down at the end of Aquino’s term, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to his salary for three months.

In 2014, the Supreme Court declared four practices under DAP as unconstitutional, including the withdrawal of budgetary allocations and classifying them as savings before the end of the year and fund transfers from the executive to the other branches of government and vice versa.

The ombudsman said Abad made a new definition of savings, a power that belongs to Congress.