BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Iloilo City’s Sen. Franklin Drilon confirmed he had a P100-million Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) allocation but denied this had been misused.
The money went to the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center which President Benigno Aquino III inspected on June 27, the Ilonggo senator said in a statement.
The Supreme Court has declared parts of DAP illegal on Tuesday, and ordered legislators who received them to return the money.
Drilon said he spearheaded the construction of the “state-of-the-art” convention center in Iloilo City’s Mandurriao district to expand tourism industry in the Western Visayas.
The convention center has a total cost of P700 million.
Drilon “every centavo” of public funds for the convention center “were not misused” and can be accounted.
They were not funneled to fictitious non-governmental organizations, the veteran lawmaker insisted.
The Iloilo Convention Center aims to boost Iloilo City’s chances of hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings in 2015.
Drilon said the project will likewise “expand tourism industry” in Region 6.
“What is wrong with fulfilling the dreams of your people? What is important is that we can account for every centavo of the public funds and that there is transparency and accountability in the implementation,” the senator added.
But Drilon said he still respects the ruling of the High Tribunal./PN
