Wednesday, July 16, 2014

WAR ON THE SUPREME COURT | Lawmakers react to PNoy's speech on DAP


The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - A virtual declaration of war on the Supreme Court. This was how Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares described President Benigno Aquino’s televised address defending the Disbursement Acceleration Program Monday night, where he took to task the SC for striking it down in a "vague" decision that, Aquino warned, could pit two coequal branches of government against each other.

Other party-list lawmakers from the progressive bloc also found it ironic that "the only son and heir of the icons" of the anti-dictatorship struggle, Ninoy and Cory, is now behaving "like a full-fledged tyrant" who insists on usurping Congress's powers and then challenges the SC for calling him out.

Mr. Aquino, said Colmenares, wasted the opportunity to divulge all the details of the DAP and wasted the time of the people.

“His use of Section 39 of the 1987 Administration Code is not even right because the section pertains to savings. The Supreme Court said that DAP was not savings, therefore Section 39 does not apply. Also, a mere administration code cannot trump the Constitution,” explained Colmenares.

“The Supreme Court was right in declaring the DAP unconstitutional and it should uphold its decision even if Malacanang files a motion for reconsideration," Colmenares said, in reaction to the President's announcement that he had directed the filing of an MR over the advice of some lawyers who said reversing a 13-0 vote is like shooting for the moon.

"It is through the DAP that President Aquino usurped the power of Congress and it transformed the budget into his presidential pork. DAP is pork barrel and it must be abolished,” ended Senior Deputy Minority Leader Colmenares.

More reactions

President Aquino III failed to use his speech to sway the people to believe in the DAP, according to militant groups who added they are more determined to pursue an impeachment complaint against him.
 
"The way it was framed was very unstatesmanlike.  He lost the chance to recover the moral high ground," political analyst Earl Parreno told InterAksyon.com when asked for his reaction.

Parreno also said that the President "totally missed the point of the (Supreme Court) Justices" in ruling against the constitutionality of the controversial program.

In his speech, Aquino hurled tirades against the Justices and said that the administration will appeal the ruling.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., however, believes the President was "courteous to the Supreme Court."

"(The speech was) well-reasoned and sincere, direct to the point, based on law, and on the realities on the ground," Belmonte, who was in Malacanang during the speech, said in a separate text message.

Anakpawis partylist Representative Fernando Hicap said the President showed he wants "fiscal dictatorship" with his continued defense and justification of the DAP.

"His declaration that Malacanang will challenge the decision of the Supreme Court that declared DAP as unconstitutional is a proof that the President wants sole discretion and decision over billions of public funds," he said.

"On behalf of Anakpawis and its allied sectors,  we only have one thing to say to President Aquino -- be ready to face the impeachment complaint and mass of protests against the administration," Hicap added.

Gabriela party-list Representative Emmi De Jesus said that the speech was a "recycled palusot (excuse)."  She added that figures would also show that the "premature savings" was not the reason for the good economy.

Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon said that the President failed to disclose new details on DAP and instead "rehashed" the same arguments delivered by his spokespersons in the past days.

“Before President Benigno Aquino III started his speech, he had two chances to salvage his presidency – slim and none. But now slim has left the town,” said Ridon, who listened to Aquino’s speech along with peoples’ organizations gathered in Plaza Miranda in Manila.

ACT Teachers partylist Representative Antonio Tinio said the speech showed "the height of President Aquino's hubris."

"Ironically, the son and heir of the icons of the anti-dictatorship struggle, Ninoy and Cory, is acting like a full-fledged tyrant, having been found to have usurped Congressional power and now challenging the authority of the Supreme Court," Tinio said.   

No comments: