Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Franklin Drilon agreed with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago that the P1.4 million each senator receives monthly isn’t his or hers to take home.
According to Senate President Franklin Drilon, the amount—actually P1.45 million—is for each office to cover the staff salaries, allowances and office operating expenses, including supplies, communication and local travel, among others.
“But these funds are not meant to end up in the personal purses of the senators because they are used to keep their offices running to say the least. The amount is there to finance the full operations of their offices in pursuit of their legislative commitments,” Drilon said, adding that proper accounting procedures were followed.
Confidential
But Drilon admitted that aside from a senator’s P90,000 salary, he or she was also entitled to a confidential budget of up to P280,000.
Drilon said there were certain instances when expenditures were confidential, and only during this circumstance was a simple certification by the concerned senator allowed in lieu of supporting receipts.
Drilon said these expenditures fall under items “extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses” (EMEs) and “other maintenance and operating expenses” (OMOEs), which have a total monthly allocation of P280,000.
He said the amount was used “to cover for expenses necessary and incidental to the performance of the official functions of the senator or in aid of legislation which includes, but is not limited to, gathering data relative to a legislative inquiry or to a concern or advocacy being advanced by the senator.”
Drilon said EMEs and OMOEs also cover expenses incurred to ensure the safety and security of the conduct of legislative inquiries and investigators and of persons invited to become witnesses.
FOI bill
Drilon made the statement two days after Santiago dared her colleagues to include in the freedom of information (FOI) bill a provision that would require the publication in a website of the basic salary, allowances and other sources of personal income of all public officials.
During her interpellation of FOI bill sponsor, Sen. Grace Poe, Santiago revealed the total monthly income of a senator was P1.4 million.
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