Bacolod Rep. Monico “Newks” Puentevella, who is one of 34 congressmen who have joined President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on her three-country tour of Europe , yesterday said he was there for meetings aimed at benefiting Bacolod and Negros Occidental.

Puentevella was reacting to criticisms hurled by an opposition solon against those who traveled with the President.

The large entourage of pro-administration solons in the presidential visits to France , Spain and the United Kingdom has been the subject of criticism by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño.

“The size of the presidential entourage is very unusual, totally unnecessary, and an extravagant abuse of privilege,” Casiño said yesterday.

The congressmen have no role in the visit, the presence of the members of the legislature there is ceremonial, to show that Congress is behind the president, he claimed.

“But you do not need 34 congressmen to do that, that's excessive,” Casiño said.

“Their justification is that the Spanish government will cover the cost. But what kind of an impression will that give the Spanish government, you are abusing their hospitality by including 34 congressmen in your entourage when they have no role in the visit?” he said

“And that's just for Spain , they have stops in France and England , it is a very brazen act of my colleagues,” Casiño added.

But Puentevella in a text message to the DAILY STAR said he was invited on the trip as chairman of the House Committee on Transportation because there will be meetings on railways and on shipping companies increasing trading operations in the Philippines.

Puentevella said he invited the shipowners to visit Bacolod soon.

Another meeting is on an ethanol cassava and sugar project possibly in Negros , he said.

The solon said he would also meet with British contractors for flyover and bridge projects for Bacolod in London .

House Speaker Jose de Venecia said of the funding for the Europe trip under scrutiny that the House leadership did not spend a single centavo for the huge delegation.

“There was no appropriation from the House regarding their plane fare, hotel bills and per diem,” de Venecia said.

We're paying for our trip, Puentevella said.*CPG

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