MANILA - Sen. Pia Cayetano on Tuesday said she did not request nor authorize the release of funds under the Disbursement Acceleration Program to the Department of Science and Technology. In a statement, Cayetano disputed the claim of DOST Secretary Mario Montejo who told a budget hearing that the senator specifically allotted P10 million in DAP funds to the DOST. She said she is not aware of the DAP and that what she proposed were amendments in the amount of P10 million to the DOST budget under the 2012 General Appropriations bill. "I did not request nor did I authorize the release of funds under the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) scheme to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). This is contrary to the claim of Secretary Mario Montejo that I specifically allotted P10 million in DAP funds to the DOST. I don't even know that term. What I do know is that I proposed amendments in the amount of P10 million to the DOST budget under the 2012 General Appropriations Bill." Cayetano said the P10 million was supposed to fund the following: P2 million for training and scholarships; P1 million for the purchase of Starbooks* facilities under the Science and Technology Information Institute; and P7 million for financial assistance for Research and Development. She later discovered that the DOST had realigned the funds to the 'Malnutrition Reduction Program' of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), an agency under DOST. "My office then tried to seek clarification from the DOST and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in order to revert the funds to their original intention, as the realignment was undertaken without my knowledge or prior approval." In response, a letter from the Department of Budget and Management dated March 12, 2012 confirmed that it was the DOST's decision to realign the P10 million under DAP for Fiscal Year 2011, as covered by Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) No.E-11-01959 dated December 12, 2011. MORNINGS@ANC, October 8, 2013
