1.

The DAP is described by the Department of Budget and Management as a stimulus package
under the Aquino administration designed to fast-track public spending and push economic
growth. This covers high-impact budgetary programs and projects which will be augmented out
of the savings generated during the year and additional revenue sources.
According to Budget Secretary Butch Abad, the DAP is not just about the use of savings and
unprogrammed funds; it is a package of reformed interventions to de-clog processes, improve the
absorptive capacities of agencies and mobilize funds for priority social and economic services.
On analyzing a decision especially on something as controversial as the DAP case, we should
always try to look on both side of the border and try to make reason and justification specially to
the losing end. This DAP was something that our incumbent president has approved and the
current administration has implemented. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt that they have
done so with all good intentions and plans. That they have implemented such disbursement of
funds to work as a stimulus package to fast track spending and to push economic growth,
resulting to a higher GDP and growth for the country. This has also resulted to better public
infrastructure and projects implemented by the government that the citizen in general has
benefitted. It is undeniable that the DAP has given a lot of benefits and growth to the country and
that the continued implementation of such program would bring improvement and growth in this
country, from which everyone would benefit from. Through DAP, the government was able to
financed the Conditional Cash Transfer Program which was branded by the government as 4Ps
or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. We should also look into it not only on its positive
side but also into the negative. If ever we do continue such program there is a big possibility that
this could be use by future politicians to do their corruptive ways, thus deviating from its original
intention. A good example of this the PDAP or the Pork Barrel, when it was introduced the
intention was for a noble cause and the implementation was for the betterment of the constituents
of the members of congress within their municipalities and district. Eventually it was used to
funnel corruptive acts of non trust worthy public officials. I think the same could be said for
DAP, the intention on its current implementation was for good and noble intentions but it could
also be used to destroy this country unless precautionary measures are taken and implemented to
avoid such circumstance.
Looking into the other side, theres a saying the end does not always justify the means. No
matter how beneficial the result was, we should always look into procedure and actions taken to
achieve such result. In the case of DAP, the program was implemented by funneling funds which
are in the form of savings by one department of the government to another (either within the
same or different department) to augment any insufficiency of budget. The act of funneling or
transferring such funds was deemed to be unconstitutional by law, for the augmentation of items
in the general appropriation by the president or any entity allowed by law could only be done if
there was a law enacted that would allow it. In the case of DAP the said implementation was
only an administrative program approved by the president and was not authorized by any law
enacted by congress.
In this sense, I have come to the conclusion that the DAP can be legally defended but what
cannot be justified legally, and I think ethically, given the context of the Corona conviction, is
allowing the senators to identify even more projects than they already did with their PDAF. I do
not think it is criminal bribery but it does not look or smell right.
2. Law and Morality do not coincide in meaning, though there is - there should be - a necessary
interdependence between them. Moral law distinguishes right and wrong in (free) human actions.
It is aimed above all at personal improvement and ultimately at salvation.
Political-civil law is aimed at making it possible for people to live together in community: in
justice, peace, freedom. Its concern is not directly supernatural, although in creating the
conditions for true justice and truly human behavior, it indirectly favors it.
Human civilization is not possible without law and morality, standing in right relationship. The
growing modern crisis of the West, shaking its culture and civilization to its foundations, stems
from separating both, seeing no necessary relationship between them. But this is to relativise
justice and truth in human relations, and to reject any concept of objective truth capable of
uniting men. The bond of unity between men is tenuous when they simply share material
interests; this is an association of self-interests (always prone to clash). Unity goes deeper and is
stronger against potential divisions when people have common values to look up to: shared truth,
patriotism, religious faith...
Law
"Law", according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "refers to the specialized form of social control
familiar in modern, secular, politically organized societies". The thomistic and christian view
understands law otherwise: "it is nothing else than an ordinance of reason for the common good,
made by him who has care of the community, and promulgated" [1].
The purpose of human law is the common good more than the good of individuals (I-II, q. 96,
art. 1). It is to establish a certain order, so as to protect social living.
Without law, there is no society, only the jungle, the rule of might "If there is justice, and if law
is based on a discernment of what is just, dialogue can begin and benevolence can appear; so we
come to what is ours in common. The first form of culture is law. Its effectiveness means that
barbarism has been overcome: men have always been civilized this way" [2].
Morality
Ethics or morals is the study of what we ought to do; i.e. what is the right way to act and what is
the wrong.
Fundamental moral concepts such as right and wrong are necessarily universal. If they are
treated as relative and subjective, then they become inapplicable to the social sphere; and hence
to the whole area of human law. If what is wrong to me may legitimately be right to someone
else, then one may perhaps debate the opportuneness of this or that law, but not its justice.
Without an interior sense of a moral order, there can be little respect for the law; for this can only
come from feeling oneself bound from within to observe the law. Here we note that the almost
universal modern concept of law as a system of rules created by the state - which ensures its
application through a system of courts and a coercive power - leaves the law without any interior
appeal or authority, except insofar as one may recognize the need for some minimum of common
rules. It also exposes the individual to the tendency to regard the law as purely external
imposition to be evaded, if one can, whenever it is considered personally inconvenient.
The purpose of morality is to ensure the uprightness of individual conscience (the law cannot
force a conscience to be upright). Yet christian morality is not individualistic; it leads one into
community.

KEYNA
Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is a reform intervention in order to boost our
economy. It is not a fund, but a mechanism to support high-impact and priority programs and
projects using savings and unprogrammed funds. The political issue that the prelate is saying is
that DAP is unconstitutionalized. This means that the nature, legality and constitutionality of the
use of the DAP funds are not all clear. Well in fact, there is what we called the General
Appropriation Act of 2012, saying that there should not be savings in the middle of the fiscal
year especially if the projects were allocated by our law or have not yet been completed. For the
prelate, in order to attain or achieve a law that is good for all, you should abide of what is in the
Constitution and not merely manipulating for the sake of your wealth and happiness.
2. In order for a law to be reasonable and moral, a law must be just. A law that should not violate
the right of an individual and by the case of our President, he already violated our right of
democracy that all the people were so blind that the money was wasted for another common
good. A law must be honest, meaning there should has no contradictions to others. In the case,
Presidents cabinets are being defensive and saying that this DAP was legal and is
constitutionalized while the others are not. A law must be relatively permanent in order to have
no bias and in order to show equal treatment to all the people in the society. With the case,
President made changes to the law without proper reviews and investigations. Lastly, a law must
be directed to the common good that the people in the society can feel worthy of the taxes they
pain in this country.
AL
Dap is just a nomenclature, it is excess fats in the line item budgeting which they lump up and
identify projects, the whole scenario, they call it DAP to accelerate economy. So it is legal and
constitutional, but it is immoral, because if it is economic, NEDA should have pinpointed
projects or at least they have the metrics to determine projects that can pump up the economy,
NEDA is the economist and the legislators are the pork masters. If this is stimulus, it should have
been publicize through the papers. We should always bear in mind that according to St. Thomas
Aquinas for a law to become efficient and effective it should be honest but what our politicians
doing? They are hiding something to the people, for what reason? For their own good, but God is
good it will be revealed soon.
JUSTIN
1.Discuss the political issue behind the statement of the prelate
The controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), aside from pork barrel. DAP is
the use of savings to augment deficient programs and projects and the use of unprogrammed
funds. It is responsible in holding the available portions or balances of items under General
Appropriations Act or GAA, such savings may then be used to augment funds for programs,
activities, or projects which are included in the GAA. It also holds the unprogrammed funds that
are standby appropriations which are authorized by Congress in the annual GAA, holds the
newly-approved loans for foreign assisted projects. Senate Drilon said that the Aquino
administration's satisfaction rating is still bettter than that of the Arroyo administration

2.Link the issue to our discussion on moral norms and laws
The issue is related to our discussion in christian ethics with regards to moral laws and norms
since the it was all about a controversial DAP which governs the use of unprogrammed savings
of the economy. Even though that the government has the hold of the economy or the economical
budget they should always be honest and should follow the laws that they have established. The
rule of good states that Government officials are accountable under the law, justice is delivered
timely by competent ethical and independent representatives neutrals sufficient number, have
adequate resources, and reflect the make-up of the communities they serve. This means that there
should be absence of corruption, involves engagement, participation and collaboration of the
government and its citizen, conformity with fundamental rights through formal institution and
democracy.Senate Drilon said that the Aquino administration's satisfaction rating is still better
than that of the Arroyo administration