(Eagle News) – The Office of the Ombudsman announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that it had begun a probe on President Benigno Aquino III and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad in relation to the issue of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that the investigations against the President and Abad were done motu propio, after receiving several complaints against the DAP.
“If we approve and recommend for conduct of preliminary investigation so be it. If we don’t agree to initiate preliminary investigation that means case is deemed closed and terminated that’s why we need ample time to review jurisprudence and law involved,” Morales said before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations.
Before Morales issued this statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate had asked the Ombudsman about the status of DAP cases in her office.
“The status of the cases are all pending fact-finding investigations,” she said.
She said her office was still evaluating the fact-finding reports submitted from the field by its investigators, particularly on the case against Aquino and Abad
But she said that her office would not release this report.
“We don’t release the investigation report. We either approve or disapprove it. If we approve it and we recommend the conduct of a preliminary investigation, then so be it. Now, if we don’t agree with the recommendation to initiate a preliminary investigation, this means the case is deemed close and terminated,” she said.