CAUGHT red-handed with evidence of lavish spending on two expensive dinners during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s recent “working visit” to the United States ($20,000 at Le Cirque in New York and $15,000 at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Washington), the administration did not deny the binges.

Instead, the Arroyo administration stonewalled under a storm of criticism kicked up by the scandalous bacchanalian feasts.

It also launched a counterattack against the media for quibbling over the costs of the dinners, compared with what it claimed as billions of pesos worth of economic benefits derived from the more than 50 foreign trips Ms Arroyo has made during her nine-year presidency.

According to a report of the Commission on Audit, the President racked up P2.7 billion in expenses in her foreign trips since 2003, or more than double the P1.1-billion limit set by Congress from 2003 to 2008.

The Palace did not, however, admit it spent taxpayers’ money to pay the restaurant bills in New York and Washington. Neither did it deny that the presidential entourage of more than 50 people free-loaded on the generosity of two congressmen who invited them for dinner.

Thus, there is no smoking gun on public money having been spent on dinners that, according to the authoritative reports of the Washington Post and the New York Post, were held at restaurants patronized by the rich and the mighty American celebrities, whose spending and gourmand tastes have now been scaled by the social-climbing presidential retinue.

Ms Arroyo digging in

The absence of evidence that taxpayer’s money was used to subsidize the culinary bash has thus discouraged the critics from mounting another impeachment complaint against the President, now in the last 10 months of her presidency before she steps down, if she ever does.

The prospects are that Ms Arroyo will continue to dig in and defy her critics to do their worst in a conflict where the party with the toughest hide is likely to prevail over its critics.

In pursuing the stonewall and crash-through strategy, the administration stood unfazed by a new disclosure that it plans to buy a brand-new jet worth P1.2 billion for presidential transport for domestic or overseas travel.

The plan came to light when the Office of the President published a notice of bidding for a presidential fixed-wing executive jet.

It said the jet must be “factory new, with turbo-fan engines pressurized and equipped with avionics and instruments that are prescribed and compliant with Federal Aviation Administration and International Civil Aviation Organization standards.”

Convoluted logic

The bidding was rushed. The aircraft is expected for delivery at the end of the year following the bidding process that starts this month. It will be in use during the balance of Ms Arroyo’s term.

Malacañang justified the bidding, saying the new aircraft would also benefit Ms Arroyo’s successors and greatly reduce security risks and other dangers for presidents using aging planes or chartering aircraft for their use.

A Malacañang official said, with convoluted logic, that the Presidential Air Wing (PAW) of the Philippine Air Force had two planes, both between 29 and 50 years old and were costly to maintain.

“Under the present arrangement, the PAW needs at least two fixed-wing jets, for every presidential engagement. With only one available, the Office of the President has to charter civilian aircraft to address the airlift requirements of the President. This is not only very costly but also poses high-security risk that may jeopardize life and limb of the President,” the official said.

Real intention

Why should an incumbent President whose term is ending in May take it upon herself to provide safe transport for her successor, while diverting a huge sum from economic projects that require higher priority than the convenience and security of future presidents?

Malacañang said: “It is but fitting and proper that whoever is the sitting president should be afforded proper amenities befitting his/her position as head of state. His or her personal safety and security is one of the prime considerations of the State.”
It continued: “The future president and those next to him or her should thank this administration for ensuring a safe, reliable and efficient air transport befitting a head of state and sparing him or her the same fate as President Arroyo who risks her life and limb by using chartered civilian aircraft in performing her official functions.”

If this plan to purchase a new presidential aircraft has done any public service at all, it reveals beyond doubt that the President intends to cling to office beyond May 2010. At the very least, it provides evidence that she still looks forward to more foreign travels.

The plan preempts the decisions of her successors concerning their own travel plans and their security and safety.

This plan is too ambitious for a developing economy to afford. Can anyone name any head of state of any rich economy being provided exclusive air transport, except the US President, with Air Force One, and the Queen of England, by the Royal Air Force? We have the aspirations of the rich and the pocket of the pauper.

(Editor’s note: This piece was written before Malacañang announced on Sunday that Ms Arroyo had canceled the plan to buy a new presidential jet.)