Miriam tells all

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Trust the inimitable Miriam Defensor Santiago to sound the trumpet (blow the whistle is too tame for what she revealed) on how much her fellow solons draw from the coffers of the Philippine government, and the virtual impunity they enjoy while squandering or appropriating the money for their own.

In her usual no-holds-barred manner, the lady senator from the Western Visayas bared to the people of the Philippines just how much senators and, naturally, also congressmen, receive in perks and extra cash allotments, to which their salaries, as prescribed under law, can only be a pittance.

No wonder, as the feisty senator declared to the media recently, candidates for these offices are willing to spend millions just to get the position. She estimated that a senatorial candidate today would spend no less than P225 million in order to have a chance of winning. But, if Senator Santiago is to be believed, what is P225 million compared to the largesse they expect to acquire through fair means and foul while already ensconced in office?

Note that the prescribed salary of a senator is only P35,000 a month, even less than what a manager of a prosperous business or industry receives. So it is not the attraction at all. What they salivate for are other benefits and allowances, like the fixed monthly budget of P1.7 million for office and staff and P760,000 for foreign travels and etceteras. In these alone, a dishonest solon could stuff into his own pocket as much as 50 percent, even more, because they only hire a minimum of staff, do not even rent office space.

There are also the added perks of kickbacks on projects which are never less than ten percent, she says. And the best of all, the main dish, is the pork barrel, disguised by other decent-sounding names like Countryside Development Fund or Priority Development Assistance Fund, of a cool P200 million that the solon can do with as he likes. Perhaps he will set up some projects, but he or she makes sure the bulk goes to his personal deposit or as reserve fund for his election bid, she also said.

And, horror of horrors - which it might well be to the ordinary taxpayer - they don't have to account or be audited for the amount. Just a certification claiming how or where it was spent is enough! And lowly government functionaries way down below get sent to jail for a few pesos of shortages in funds under their custody! And of course this is repeated several times over in the House of Representatives.*