Morales: COA delayed Aquino’s DAP indictment

MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has blamed the Commission on Audit (COA) for the delay in resolving the complaint against former president Benigno Aquino III in connection with the controversial P72-billion Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

In a taped television interview aired yesterday, Morales maintained that she did not succumb to pressure of belatedly ordering Aquino’s indictment in connection with the DAP controversy.

“There was no pressure to include Aquino in the DAP case. If there was any delay, it had to do with our expectation from the COA for its fraud audit reports. It was not reactive to pressure but in light of the fact that the COA did not respond to us immediately,” Morales said in an interview with ANC.

Morales, an appointee of Aquino, is set to retire on July 26 after completing her seven-year term.

In its March 7, 2017 resolution, the ombudsman had cleared Aquino of any criminal or administrative liabilities on the DAP controversy but nonetheless found probable cause to charge former budget secretary Florencio Abad with usurpation of legislative powers under Article 239 of the Revised Penal Code.