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INSTEAD
of using government funds for unnecessary foreign
travels and throwing lavish receptions for foreign
dignitaries, the House leadership said it would divert
funds for that purpose to social services and
infrastructures.
Speaker
Prospero Nograles has encouraged House members to
exercise austerity and prudence in the disposition of
the House’s budget “because spending money for these
purposes is impractical and immoral, especially at this
time when a lot of our people can hardly put food on
their table.”
Even as
the P1.227-trillion General Appropriations Act for this
year mandates dramatic increases in allocations for
social services and infrastructure development to
sustain national productivity, Nograles cited the need
to eliminate “wasteful spending” of the people’s money.
Nograles
said he would not allow lavish expenses on visiting
foreign dignitaries invited by Congress, as had been
practiced by the past House administration.
“Prudence is our guide. We know the bounds of
international protocol. We can avoid overspending
without jeopardizing international commitments and
relations,” he said.
Nograles
noted that in the past, House funds were used to cover
foreign trips for the Speaker and the members of his
entourage, which include other congressmen, relatives
and staff, including a media-coverage crew.
Also,
there is also a practice where the Speaker plays host to
foreign dignitaries for receptions held in posh hotels.
“What we
will do is to improve the facilities of the House of
Representatives so that we can hold these receptions
here with pride. Hotel receptions are very expensive and
impractical,” Nograles said.
He
clarified that these are part of the perks and
privileges of the Speaker, and it is not illegal if his
predecessors used House funds for their official foreign
trips and receptions for foreign dignitaries.
Nograles
also reminded his colleagues that foreign official trips
would be allowed only when necessary in accordance with
international relations and protocol, investment
promotions and other vital regional and global
commitments.
“We will
not allow unnecessary official foreign travels of House
members. If they want to travel for personal reasons,
they should shoulder their own expenses. We will not
allow junkets at our people’s expense. I myself will
practice self-restraint in using House funds for my
travels, whether official or nonofficial,” Nograles
said.
“I would
rather that we spend people’s money to improve the
facilities of Congress that would help bring government
closer to the people,” he added.
At the
same time, Nograles supports the wisdom behind the fund
increases in social services and infrastructure
development in the country to push education and health
and promote productivity by building the necessary
public infrastructures.
“We have
to have efficient delivery of social services to our
people and the necessary infrastructure to allow
reliable, safe and efficient movement of people, goods
and services. A healthy and globally competitive
manpower and good governance are requisites to sustained
and meaningful development,” he said. |
