FOR Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, President Benigno Aquino III’s public outcry against the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision against the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is a “healthy sign of democracy.”
Cayetano, who was in Cebu City yesterday to attend a convention of barangay officials in the province, agrees with the High Court’s decision but said Aquino has the right to contest the decision.
“”The president is losing the battle but he is winning the war. It shows that democracy is healthy. During the time of President Arroyo, this won’t happen because the outcome of the (SC) cases were very questionable,” said Cayetano.
Last Monday, Aquino vented on national television his frustration on the SC decision.
Cayetano defended the president, saying Aquino was not defying the decision because it was not yet final, and that the implementation of DAP-funded projects have been frozen.
“President Aquino was simply arguing his case. A constitutional crisis will come if there’s a final decision and he does not want to obey it. But as of my understanding, there is no DAP now. All he wants to do is to defend it. So there’s no defiance or constitutional crisis. But if they lose in the case and they will try to have the DAP, then that is another story,” he added.
He advised the public to shift their focus on “more pressing issues” such as post-Yolanda rehabilitation, saying people and government must not lose sight of disaster preparation especially that typhoon Glenda just hit the country and more typhoons expected.
“Habang nakatutok tayo sa DAP, nagugutom ang mga tao. Meron na ang tseke sa Bohol at Leyte pero wala pa daw guidelines so hindi magamit ang pondo. Let the SC decide independently and let’s focus on the lowering of prices of goods and protection from natural disasters,”said Cayetano.
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