No reshuffle in Aquino Cabinet - Coloma

MANILA – Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma on Tuesday said he is not aware of an impending reshuffle in the Cabinet. With Coloma recently taking a more active role in Palace briefings, reports have circulated that Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda would soon be transferred to the National Economic and Development Authority. Coloma, however, insisted that is not the case. He said the reason Lacierda has been unavailable is because he has been out of the country. “I was asked to take a more active role to tighter connection between messaging and dissemination, being the person that conducts the briefings for palace reporters,” he said. “The only reason he has been out of the Palace, he was part of the official delegation to the Open Government Partnership Summit in London,” he added. Coloma said he does not believe Malacañang was late in responding to the controversy surrounding the disbursement acceleration program. He also addressed criticisms that a portion of the DAP was converted to pork barrel funds. “Of the total pie of DAP, 91% was directly channeled to departments that needed the funds for accelerated spending. Nine percent were requests of legislators for nominating projects,” he said. “The concept then was to simply ask the legislators to recommend projects. This is totally different from PDAF. They have total discretion pursuant to guidelines to prescribe which projects will be funded. Here they are merely asked to nominate projects that could speed up the spending of money for authorized purposes under the approved General Appropriations Act,” he said. Coloma also said frustration did not prompt the President to address the nation last week. MORNINGS@ANC, November 5, 2013