Enrile recalls staff of Senate critics

TWO critic-senators of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who were deprived of additional funds disclosed on Wednesday that the Senate leader ordered the recall of some of their employees.

The memo sent to the offices of Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV seeks to recall the staff of the two lawmakers.

In a press statement, Enrile confirmed that some of the Senate Secretariat employees are being recalled but explained that the instructions were made as early as December 6 of last year. The memo, however, was only deemed effective January 15, 2013.

"The assignment for their detail had actually expired already and it was only proper that these high-salaried personnel should be sent back to and be utilized by their respective mother units," Enrile said.

The Senate leader said Cayetano's two employees are actually from the Blue Ribbon Office, while Trillanes's two employees are from the Senate Economic Planning Office and the Office of the Senate Secretary.

"I should also point out that even when employees detailed to their offices have been recalled, there are still two Senate Secretariat employees who have remained assigned to the Office of Sen. Alan Cayetano, and one Secretariat employee still detailed to the Office of Sen. Trillanes," Enrile said.

Last week, it was learned that Enrile gave out P2.218 million of additional maintenance and other operating expenses to his colleagues in the Senate. Four senators, including Cayetano and Trillanes, however, only received the first tranche amounting to P600,000. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)