PNOY’s KKKK received P64 billion in DAP
by Dean Lacandazo
In the fulfillment of his campaign slogan “Tuwid na Daan,” President Benigno Aquino III lost no time for the arrest of political opponents Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Ramon Revilla who are accused of plunder and graft cases in connection with the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam. Ironically, the President too, is facing issues of corruption after masterminding the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, with 13 out of 14 justices voting against it.
Many legislators are said to benefit from DAP, both knowingly and unknowingly, and as it turns out, PNoy’s Kaibigan, Kakampi, Kaklase, and Kabarilan (Friends, Allies, Classmate, Shooting buddies) are also recipients of the said fund. Seems like, PNoy cannot just sweep cronyism in politics off his sleeve, after appointing cabinet members who are part of the four “K”. As allies, they would, as expected, implement and fulfill the president’s visions.
According to Article 7 Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the president can “nominate and, with the consent of Commission on Appointments, appoint the heads of the executive departments.” These cabinet members will then act as “alter ego” of the president to help him in executing programs in their respective departments. They will also serve as advisors to the president in their assigned fields.
And just as how his appointees proved their loyalty to him, PNoy will do as well as he continues to stand behind his allies despite issues being thrown at them. Example was when PNoy backlashed at critics of Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad and Department of Agrarian Reform Sec. Virgilio de los Reyes, after some legislators and concerned citizens called for their resignation. Yet, PNoy, in a firm stand, said that he is ever confident the performance of Abad and de los Reyes, thus sees no point in letting them go.
De los Reyes is being criticized by some legislators for being weak in the implementation of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform (CARPER) law. And yet, hundreds of farmers remain burdened by the law, as many of them still do not have their own land to till. PNoy’s relatives, the Conjuangco-Aquino clan, own a great deal of Hacienda Luisita Inc., a 6,453 hectares sugarcane plantation that has a long overdue distribution of land.
Meanwhile, DBM Secretary Florencio Abad, alleged tutor of Pork barrel Queen Janet Napoles’s in scheming the pork barrel fun scam, stay cozy and unharmed in his seat with PNoy at his back. But to add some delicadeza into it, he submitted a resignation letter, which was ceremoniously rejected by PNoy.
Department of Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala, a long-time member of the Liberal Party, was also dragged in the Pork barrel scam. But the case never flourished the same way with Sen. Estrada and Sen. Revilla.
It is also Abad and PNoy who are responsible for the creation DAP, which eventually resulted to three impeachment complaints against PNoy. But all were declared “insufficient in substance.” According to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the DAP was also used to bribe senators in voting for the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2011.
De los Reyes’s, Abad’s, and Alcala’s departments received P1,299,717,000 (DAR) , P3,903,818,000 (DBM), P6,151,187,000 (DA), respectively.
Other cabinet members, who proved to have close ties not just with PNoy but his family as well, are Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro and (DND) Department of National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. The former had close ties with PNoy’s late mother President Corazon “Cory” Aquino. Luistro even delivered a homily titled “Cory, the Heart of a Saint” during her wake. On the other hand, Gazmin served as the Commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) during Cory’s administration. He defended her against coup attempts in her six-year term as president. And when it was her son’s turn to run for presidency, Gazmin became one of the security consultants for the campaign of PNoy. Both Gazmin and Noynoy were also born and raised in the province of Tarlac.
DepEd received funds from DAP, amounting to P4,136,880,000, while DND received P665,627,000.
PNoy will also not forget his shooting buddies, thus reserved a place for them in cabinet posts. Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima once admitted that PNoy taught her how to fire. She even commended PNoy for being such a good coach. Another shooting buddy of PNoy is Department of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who was cleared by PNoy when faced with tax irregularities. Both of their departments received P13,200,000 and P3,758,136,000, respectively.
And yet the ever-present ally of PNoy is Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas. He also has a high chance of representing as the Liberal Party’s standard-bearer for the 2016 Presidential elections. He even served as the president of the party in from 2007 to 2012. His department received P5.8 B funds from DAP.
