PNoy asks: Why make DAP an issue?

President Aquino urges the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) to focus on the issue of holding public officials accountable for stealing government funds instead of what he calls "wrong issues." In his speech, Aquino said journalists should not be sidetracked by "unfair criticisms" of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), high bonuses given to board members of government-owned and -controlled corporations, and even reforms at the Bureau of Customs (BOC). He added journalists must separate important stories from the frivolous. Aquino again defended the DAP, claiming it has been unjustly vilified by the media two years after it was announced. He said the DAP was used to relocate informal settlers, build necessary infrastructure, upgrade government hospitals, and fund disaster prevention through project NOAH. Aquino noted even the World Bank acknowledges the stimulus program boosted economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2011. ANC Dateline Philippines, October 23, 2013