This issue is getting so uncomfortable that it’s heading to the toilet…literally.
“At the Thursday, July 24, Senate hearing tackling the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Senator Nancy Binay said the funds should have been used for regular projects such as the rehabilitation of toilets at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA 1),” reports Marvin Sy in The Philippine Star.
Binay gave Budget Secretary Butch Abad a lot of flak for “the shelving of the PHP549.188-million budget for the NAIA I in 2012 which eventually ended up as part of the pooled savings that went to the DAP in the later part of the same year.”
However, Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Abaya countered “the NAIA restrooms were not recipients of DAP.” Abaya clarified that “the rehabilitation project for NAIA was scrapped when he was still congressman.”
Nevertheless, Binay said, “In terms of service, there would have been many who will benefit from this project. The budget of PHP549 million was approved and then in the middle of the year, it was scrapped.”
Binay then asked, “Hindi ninyo po nakikita ang pangangailangan ng mga banyo nationwide (Can’t you see the need for toilets nationwide)?”
The report noted: “Binay also questioned the allocation of PHP70 million for stem cell research coursed through the Department of Health (DOH) when the amount would have benefited more if spent for the purchase of more beds in government hospitals.”
Screengrab from a publicity photo
