Drilon admits receiving P100M from pork, says he put it to good use

Senator Franklin Drilon admitted Sept 2013, that he received additional pork barrel worth P100 million from the Disbursement Acceleration Plan (DAP), but said he put it to good use.


“The P100 million, I received that…I requested for that fund under the DAP of the government so [Iloilo] would have additional infrastructure for tourism to boost our opportunity to host the 2015 [annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation],” he said in a radio interview.



The Former Senate President said that the DAP was introduced in 2011 because the government was being criticized for under-spending.

“This is from the DAP which was created because of criticisms by economists that the government was underspending. Spending was weak that is why the [gross domestic product] at that time was low, at 3.6 percent against our target of 6 to 7 percent,” he said.

Drilon said that the fund was directed to the Department of Public Works and Highways for implementation right after it was released.

“Senator Jinggoy [Estrada] himself said that it was not a bribe. If it was used to influence [the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona last year], there is no logic to releasing it after the trial and conviction of Corona,” he said.



Estrada after Corona's impeachment, said senators were paid 50 million in funds.

“as provided in a private and confidential letter memorandum of the then chair of the Senate committee on finance (now Senator Drilon).”

“Confidential man o hindi, ang importante ay kung paano ginamit,” Drilon said of the so-called confidential memorandum.

“The release of funds does not necessarily mean that it was pocketed [by the official],” he added. MJM

Source/s: Inquirer, Interaksyon

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