 links: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1781380193715
Abad: Aquino gov't works within legal, honest means
Friday 27th of September 2013
MANILA, Sept 27 (PNA) -- The Aquino administration has not
resorted to dishonesty in pushing for important bills to be passed in
Congress, Budget Sec. Florencio "Butch" Abad said Thursday.
"The President, his Cabinet, and his allies in the Administration coalition worked long and hard to achieve the measures that we lobbied for in Congress, and in no way or manner did we resort to extra-legal or dishonest means to ensure the success of our causes," Abad said in a statement. "These include the unprecedented impeachment and conviction of then Chief Justice Renato Corona, as well as the successful passage of two controversial bills that had previously languished in Congress for over a decade: the Responsible Parenthood bill and the Sin Tax bill," he added. Abad was reacting to the privilege speech delivered Wednesday by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, alleging that P50 million were offered each to senators to convict then Chief Justice Renato Corona. "I must emphasize that we in the Aquino administration do not and will not bribe any group or individual—whether these ‘bribes’ are offered officially or otherwise—all for the sake of getting our way, or for the sake of gaining political leverage over parties that may oppose us," he said. In his speech, Estrada also challenged Abad to produce Priority Development Assistance Fund documents that the DBM was unable to furnish to Commission on Audit for the completion of the agency's special audit report for 2007-2009. Estrada alleged that Abad had been silent in the misuse of funds and DBM's refusal to supply documents to COA on transactions other than those of non-allies; and the selective posting of information on the DBM website. Abad disputed this and said the DBM is working to secure the documents that COA needs from them. Abad said these fund releases were made during the Arroyo administration and admitted that it was difficult to trace those releases. "Sec. Singson of the DPWH himself explained that these releases are particularly hard to track down, as they were made directly to the agency's District Engineering and Regional offices, and not to the DPWH Central Office," Abad said. Abad assured that they continue to cooperate with COA in furnishing the agency the documents that they need from DBM. "We continue to pledge our cooperation in the audit body’s efforts to get to the truth of the matter. We are as interested as the public is in the question of how public funds were spent and managed—whether these funds were released in the previous or current administration—even as we continue our work of crafting and implementing the National Budget with full transparency, accountability, and openness," he said. (by Janice Cave/PNA/HBC/JMC) PIA Website http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php links: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1781380193715
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