CCT program is legal, says Malacañang

The Solicitor-General’s office will comment on a petition filed by former senator Aquilino Pimentel III and two barangay chairmen before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Aquino administration’s P21illion conditional cash transfer program, said on Wednesday. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also told reporters the CCT program is legal. “Under the Local Government Code, there is a provision that requires… that provides that the national government can handle those funds if there are foreign loans involved,". “Part of the P21 billion CCT involves program loans from Asian Development Bank," he added. There was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Aquino administration as the program has been going on for years, the Palace official maintained. “This not the first year the CCT was here. CCT is getting attention this year because the budget was increased to P21 billion, but this has been ongoing. There are foreign assisted loans as part of the CCT. This is not something that’s new. We are well aware of the petition," Lacierda said. On March 14, Pimentel, together with Association of Barangay Captains president Sergio Tadeo and Nelson Alcantara of Barangay Santa Monica, Quezon City filed before the Supreme Court a 23-page petition to declare the CCT program as unconstitutional and to keep the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa from implementing it. — Amita Legaspi/ VS, GMA News