MANILA, Philippines — Millions of pesos in public funds will go down the drain as Malacañang and its allies continue to use their office as a “travel agency,” according to the United Opposition
UNO spokesperson Ernesto Maceda said on Wednesday the government has been blatantly spending the people’s money to fund their foreign junkets thinly veiled as official travel.
Maceda said that President Macapagal-Arroyo, who left with a horde of Cabinet members, solons and their wives to Japan and Brazil on Wednesday, set a bad example as the national government deficit was expected to hit P400 billion.
“In the past, the first steps to tame a deficit were to cut down on travel and purchase of cars. GMA continues to set the example for traveling and junketing so often… Easily, for a party of about 100 including Malacañang support staff, DFA personnel and PSG security contingent, an estimated P100 million would be spent,” he said in a statement.
Lawmakers joining the President’s latest trip are: Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, Batangas Rep. Victoria Reyes, Masbate Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, Quezon City Rep. Mary Ann Susano, Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman, Nueva Ecija Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, Misamis Oriental Yevgeny Vincente Emano, Abra Rep. Cecilia Seares-Luna, Compostela Valley Rep. Rommel Amatong, La Union Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr., Abono party-list Rep. Robert Estrella, and Pangasinan Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas.
Maceda noted that all of them signed the resolution to convene Congress into a constituent assembly, with or without Senate consent, which was feared to be part of a plan to extend Ms Arroyo’s stay in power.
Malacañang, he added, never made a public accounting of the expenses of the President’s trips but reports from the Department of Budget and Management and the Commission on Audit “place her travel expenses for the last eight years at close to P4 billion.”
“COA reports also show that her finance officers have not liquidated their huge cash advances for her travels,” said Maceda.
He pointed out that in one trip to New York, Ms Arroyo brought 55 congressmen along — making her the most traveled President in Philippine history.
With unchecked government spending, UNO warned Filipinos to “expect poverty and hunger figures to increase.”
Source: Allison Lopez
