Osmeña hits back at Boncodin

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III lashed yesterday at Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin for complaining of the P6 million he wasted in his two-day filibuster "while inserting P13 billion in pork barrel" in the 2002 national budget.

"She is a hypocrite! She should look at her own house first!" Osmeña said sharply.

He argued that nothing was wasted when he filibustered contrary to Boncodin’s claim that the government lost P6 million.

The filibuster prevented the Senate from constituting its 37 standing committees. Osmeña stopped his filibuster last Monday after the minority and the majority reached a compromise on the allocation of committees to the Senate president pro tempore and the majority leader.

"I raised a legitimate issue and I used legitimate means. Furthermore, the Senate does not stop working just because a senator is filibustering," Osmeña contended.

He pointed out that even while he was on the floor, his staff members were working on four bills, the people in the Senate cafeteria were cooking and serving meals, the pages and security men were on duty and the Senate bills and index section were receiving measures for first reading.

"In fact, even if I get sick, the Senate will continue to function. There is no waste of government funds," he said.

He said that Boncodin should show more concern for the insertion of P13 billion in pork barrel than to the P6 million allegedly lost in his two-day filibuster. – Efren Danao