CHIZ: GMA'S TRAVEL EXPENSES MAY HAVE BREACHED P3-B SINCE 2001

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday said that President Arroyo may have spent more than P3 billion in foreign trips since she assumed office in 2001, exceeding the authorized travel budget allocated for the Office of the President year after year.

"With the frequency of her travels abroad, I wouldn't be surprised if President Arroyo's travel expenses has already breached P3 billion," he said.

Escudero pointed out that the Palace has already spent over P2 billion for travels for a five-year (2002-2007) period alone. He said that P408.6 million was allocated for 2008, while P436 million is budgeted for 2009.

In 2007, the travel budget was at P300.2 million for both local and foreign trips. It ballooned to P693 million or more than double of what was authorized in the national budget for that year, he said.

Escudero said the 2007 travel expenditures could have been used to supplement the budgets of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (P227.5 million), Lung Center of the Philippines (P221.5 million), Philippine Heart Center (P287 million) and the Philippine Children's Medical Center (P239.5 million).

"Good governance also means the proper allocation of taxpayer monies," he said.

Escudero however said that this may only be the tip of the iceberg as travel-related expenses can be charged to other funds.

"As an example, travel expenses of her military escorts are charged to the mother unit. So we may only be looking at the minimum here," the 39-year old senator explained.

The senator said what was dismaying is that President Arroyo's entourage in foreign trips in the past included family members as well as an indeterminate number of hangers- on.

In September 2004, the President turned a state visit to China into a family vacation with members of her family joining the delegation. The entourage also included 41 complementary staff from the Presidential Security Group and the Office of the Press Secretary as well as crews of state-owned broadcast stations, he said.

In December 2007, a contingent of close to 200 people that included more than 30 lawmakers joined President Arroyo in her trip to France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

A delegation of 86 people composed of Cabinet officials, lawmakers and local officials accompanied President Arroyo to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum in January 2008.

In February of this year, President Arroyo went on a P123-million eight-day, four-nation trip to the Middle East via the US, with a 61-strong delegation.

"Since 2001, President Arroyo has made at least 50 foreign trips for state and working visits, lasting at least 130 days. Maybe its time the Palace tells us what we got from them," Escudero said.