Santiago questions Enrile’s big income

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. File photo

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had received the biggest amount of P118 million in the Senate for the entire 2011, senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said Monday.

Enrile also has control of 52.51 percent of the entire Senate budget, Santiago said in a speech during the opening of the 2013 National Accountancy Week of the Philippine Institute of Public Accountants.

Each senator receives P43 million a year as income but Enrile, as Senate President, receives as additional P71.7 million, Santiago said.

The rest of the Senate officers also receive additional income. Senate Protempore Jinggoy Estrada received a total of P62 million income, Majority leader Vicente Sotto III received P56 million, and Minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano received P55 million, Santiago said.

The following are the income of the rest of the senators:

Antonio Trillanes IV P54.9 million;

Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., P49 million;

Ramon Revilla, Jr., P49 million;

Francis Escudero, P48.7 million;

Gregorio Honasan, P47 million;

Francis Pangilinan, P46 million;

Loren Legarda, P44 million;

Aquilino Pimentel, P43.9 million;

Manuel Lapid, P43.5 million;

Ralph Recto, P42 million;

Pia Cayetano, P42 million;

Edgardo Angara, P41.7 million;

Teofisto Guingona, Jr., P41.5 million;

Miriam Defensor Santiago, P41 million;

Manny Villar, P40 million;

Sergio Osmeña, P37.6 million;

Panfilo Lacson, P37 million;

Franklin Drilon, P34.9 million;

and Joker Arroyo,  P31.8 million.

“The senators collectively control and are accountable only for 47.49% of the total Senate budget. Here is the deep, dark secret: the Senate President controls the remaining 52.51% of the Senate budget, or the total amount of P 1.7 billion for 2013,” Santiago said.

She called on Enrile to liquidate all his expenses and justify the use of the funds that he received as the Senate President.

“A whimsical exercise of the power constitutes a grave abuse of discretion and raises a justiciable issue before the Supreme Court,” Santiago said.

She recommended that the power of discretion for the more than 50 percent budget of the Senate should be in the hands of the entire Senate instead of in the Senate President.

Also, Santiago said that the liquidation system which is done through certification must be changed to require receipts and other documents.

“Immediate past experience shows us that the amount known as ‘Additional MOOE’ (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) becomes the personal pork barrel of the Senate President,” she said.

“In the hands of a corrupt Senate President, this discretionary power over additional MOOE becomes a tool not only of corruption, but also of oppression and of ugly politics,” Santiago added.