Gov’t officials expected to ‘live modestly,’ says Hontiveros after solon’s ‘lavish’ wedding

Senator Risa Hontiveros during one of the hearings at the Senate. Senate PRIB file photo / Joseph Vidal

MANILA, Philippines—When government officials took their oath in office, they are expected to live a “modest lifestyle.”

So said opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros when asked on Tuesday about the reported “lavish” wedding ceremony of a drivers party-list representative, Claudine Bautista, in Balesin Island Resort in Polilio, Quezon.

Bautista drew flak after some photos of their wedding were posted on Instagram by fashion designer Michael Cinco last August 11.

And Hontiveros understands why many people find this a “sensitive issue” especially at this time of pandemic when many people, including public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, are struggling to find food for their table.

“And over all, kaming lahat naman na nagtratrabaho sa gobyerno ay para sa’kin pinaka importanteng utos sa amin ay yung modest lifestyle di ba? Kaming mga official at pati yung mga empleyado sa gobyerno ay hinihimok na to live within our means, to live modestly,” she said in an online interview with Senate reporters.

(And over all, for me the most important order to all of us working in government is to have a modest lifestyle. Officials and employees of government are being encouraged to live within our means, to live modestly.)

“Bilang aktibista, masasabi ko rin na matagal ng itinuturo sa amin na yung simpleng pamumuhay bilang pakikiisa din sa ating mga kababayan na ang karamihan ay talagang mahirap matagal na at lalong lumala lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya.”

(As an activist, I can say that we have been taught to live simply as a way to sympathize with most of our poor countrymen, whose situation got worse amid the pandemic.)

“Kaya naiitindihan ko talag kung bakit napakasensitibong issue ito sa mga kababayan natin at para sa akin leksyon sa aming lahat na nagtratrabaho sa gobyerno na magkaroon ng pakikisa sa ating mga kababayan lalo na sa ganitong mga ubod na mahirap na panahon,” the senator added.

(So I understand why this is a sensitive issue to our countrymen and for me, this is also a lesson to all of us working in government especially at this worst time.)

Hontiveros noted that one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic is the transportation sector as many PUV drivers have been displaced due to health restrictions being imposed by the government.

They have been calling for more cash aid while urging government to extend its service contracting program to displaced PUV drivers, according to the senator.

“Sana mabigyan naming lahat ng mga mambabatas ng atensyon itong mga itong matagal na, at mga bago pandemic era na legislative agenda ng ating mga driver na napakahalagang bahagi ng transport sector pati sa service subsector at sa logistics subsector,” Hontiveros then stressed.

(I hope we can give attention to these legislative agenda, which have long been raised by the drivers even before the pandemic, as this is very important to the transport sector as well as the service subsector and the logistics subsector.)

JPV