Saturday, December 22, 2007 Cebuano House reps confirm receiving over P100T to P200T for office expenses By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter With Minerva B. Gerodias
A CEBU congressman assured constituents there was “nothing irregular” when they accepted the P200,000 that House Speaker Jose de Venecia gave each of them.
The money, he said, was additional funding for allowances of personnel, transportation, rental and other expenses for the year.
“It was given in check, properly receipted, and was given by the House, only that of course it was executed by the Speaker,” said the congressman, who asked not to be named.
He said the amount given to each of the 240 lawmakers in the House of Representatives was charged to the legislative body’s funds, and the legislators signed when they accepted it.
“Nothing irregular about it. It was for additional expenses of each congressman. Otherwise, it would have been kept secret,” the congressman said.
In a separate interview, Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu Province, 2nd district) admitted he received P200,000 from House Speaker Jose de Venecia.
Garcia said as far as he knows, each congressman received an equal amount regardless of party affiliation.
However, Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu Province, 4th district) said he only received P100,000, plus P70,000 as transportation allowance.
Salimbangon said he believes there is nothing irregular because everything was covered with receipts and subject to liquidation.
Garcia also said part of the money will be used for bonuses and the rest will be for financial contributions to his constituents.
Each lawmaker’s staff is not covered by the P10,000 bonus that regular government workers will receive as announced by President Arroyo.
As quoted by The Philippine Star, Speaker de Venecia said the amount was “intended for the Christmas bonuses of the staff of members of the House.”
House members’ employees are casual and coterminous with the congressmen they serve and are not entitled to the bonuses paid by the legislative body’s secretariat.
Legislators received the amount after they adjourned for their six-week Christmas break.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., a former three-time congressman, told the national paper that he could not recall receiving such an amount in his time, but said he would like to believe its release was needed by the congressmen’s respective districts.
The release of the amount drew extra attention after congressmen and governors allegedly received P500,000 each last Oct. 11 after meeting with President Arroyo in Malacañang.
Malacañang denied giving the amount at the height of the impeachment complaint filed against Arroyo and just days before the Oct. 29 barangay elections.
A member of the Kabalikat nga Malayang Pilipino party later said they were behind the gift-giving. Rep. Amelita Villarosa (Mindoro Occidental) said the money came from party funds.
The Cebu congressman said his office staff received a portion of the amount, which will also be used for other office expenses.
He did not, however, specify what other expenses he meant aside from rentals and transportation.
Each year, barangay captains receive “gifts” from their respective congressmen, who owe their victory in the elections to their barangay leaders, often the barangay officials themselves.
