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January 10, 2013, Journal Online, Congressmen got add’l Xmas perks,

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January 10, 2013, Journal Online, Congressmen got add’l Xmas perks

THE leader of the House opposition bloc yesterday disclosed that even congressmen got additional perks last Christmas which was used to extend bonuses to other employees not holding plantilla positions amounting to Php500,000.
But House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the additional money he got reached Php200,000 under the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and was given through check.
“The additional MOOE is intended to give additional perks to our employees who are not entitled to Christmas bonuses,” Suarez told reporters in a press conference.
“Whatever it is, it’s being practiced every Christmas, this is my sixth (term) in Congress already. There’s really something that they give for you to spread to your staff not entitled to bonuses,” Suarez stressed.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gave Php1.6 million bonus to each of the 18 senators while Php250,000 each to his four other colleagues as Christmas bonus through the savings generated from the office of then Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III whose term was cut short following his election to the presidency.
An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio “Bem” Noel, the chairman of the House committee on accounts, said each lawmaker was given Php500,000 last December.
“This has been the practice every December, but that’s not bonus,” Noel said, explaining that the Php200,000 fund for MOOE of each congressman was increased to half a million each.
It will be recalled that MOOE is a budget item being used to support the operations of government agencies, such as expenses for supplies and materials; transportation and travel utilities (water, power, etc.), and necessary repairs, etc.
Like Suarez, Noel admitted that the additional fund was utilized to give 13th month pay or bonuses to other congressional staff.
“It’s difficult for us to give bonuses to the congressmen because we are operating on the same budget as last year (2011). There are more House members now, and our budget remained the same, which gives us little elbow room to give bonuses,” he said.

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on Jan 10, 13