MANILA: About P18m in combined monthly operational funds for the offices of detained Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr have been placed under control of the Senate leadership during their 90-day suspension by the ombudsman.
The Office of the Senate Secretary under lawyer Oscar Yabes will handle the senators’ funds, including their respective salaries.
Senate President Franklin Drilon has directed the Senate secretariat to take over the functions of the three senators with regard to the handling of about P2m a month operational budget of each of the offices, sources said.
In the 90 days of the suspension, the total amount involved is P18m for the three senators.
“The Office of the Secretary will take over the disposition of the funds of the three senators in the meantime that they are suspended,” a source told The STAR yesterday.
Estrada, Enrile and Revilla are also prevented from making cash advances since they might be able to tap their budgets while suspended from office, the source added.
The three senators have been suspended by the Sandiganbayan one after the other since September, as implemented by the Office of the Senate President despite questions raised by acting Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III on why the suspensions were not brought before the body for plenary discussions.
The suspension orders that would last until December are related to the plunder cases filed before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the fund scam.
Based on the previous reports of the Commission on Audit (COA), each senator can tap P40m to P60m every year for their salaries, benefits, travel expenses, rentals for offices, professional/consultancy fees, extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses as well as other miscellaneous and operating expenditures.
The amount varies among regular senators and those handling top posts such as the Senate President, Senate President Pro-Tempore, majority and minority leaders.
Each senator also gets a uniform amount of P2m for chairmanships of the various Senate committees, as well as benefits as members of the Commission of Appointments.
As this developed, the COA has reiterated anew the need for senators to submit their documentary and other audit instruments.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
