Who is Cabinet’s ‘Million $ Man’?

Move over, "Clint Eastwood" and "Harrison Ford," you are small time. The "Million Dollar Man" among Cabinet members must take top priority in the lifestyle check and in the line for the chopping block.

Rep. Willie Buyson Villarama (Aksyon Demokratiko, Bulacan) said yesterday President Arroyo should order an inquiry into reports that a member of her Cabinet "made millions in payoffs from a former crony of ousted President Estrada."

"He’s big-time. The payoffs were not in pesos; they were in dollars. They were made in connection with some problems the Erap crony is facing," he said.

Villarama said he once saw some documents "showing the money trail that leads to Mr. Million Dollar Man."

"I’m trying to trace these documents. I will make an exposé the moment I have them," he said.

Villarama added that civil society critics of Mrs. Arroyo are also attempting to get their hands on the "incriminating papers."

Asked if the President is aware or has heard about the reports, Villarama, who was Mrs. Arroyo’s chief of staff when she was vice president, said: "I think so."

He supported the President’s "much-publicized anti-corruption campaign" but stressed that "it would be a laughingstock if only the small fry get it while the big fish gets away."

Another House member who expressed support for the campaign is Charity Leviste (Lakas, Mindoro Oriental).

Leviste said officials making "dirty money" should quit before they drag down the administration.

She also urged bureaucrats to set the example of frugality.

"They should live frugal lives even if they were multi-millionaires before they joined the government. The public sets different standards for those public functionaries and private individuals," she said.

Leviste asked Arroyo administration officials to live or at least approximate the lifestyle of Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin who, she said, "is a very modest and humble person who once arrived at the Batasan compound for a budget hearing in a taxi cab."

Another Lakas lawmaker, Prospero Nograles of Davao City, urged Cabinet members and their underlings and presidential advisers involved in controversies to quit for becoming an "embarrassment to the Arroyo administration."

"If they don’t quit, they should be included in the impending Cabinet revamp," he said.

He said other officials who should go are those "who have no real performance to speak of, those whose performance is through porma and press releases."

For his part, opposition Rep. Abraham Mitra (LDP, Palawan) said sub-Cabinet officials like those in bureaus, commissions and councils should also be covered by the revamp.

"While not as high-profile as Cabinet members, these officials are equally important because they are the ones directly in touch with the public. If they fare badly, they drag down the President with them," he said.

Last week, House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla (LDP, Nueva Vizcaya) said if the President was serious in her anti-corruption drive, she should begin in her own backyard and inquire about the lifestyle of "Clint Eastwood" and "Harrison Ford," who are reportedly Palace officials.

"Eastwood" has reportedly acquired an expensive piece of property in the affluent Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City, while "Ford" was allegedly driving around in a new P2-million Ford Expedition.

In radio interview last week, Press Undersecretary Roberto Capco and Presidential Adviser for Ecclesiastical and Media Affairs Conrado Limcaoco said they felt alluded to by the reports about "Eastwood" and "Ford."

Capco admitted that he and his wife had made a down payment for a condominium unit in Eastwood City, but said it was forfeited because they defaulted in their succeeding payments.

For his part, Limcaoco said he was using an Expedition that he bought three years ago before he joined the Arroyo administration.

The two said they were ready to submit themselves to a lifestyle check.

Critics of Capco and Limcaoco said it should be easy for those tasked to carry out the anti-corruption campaign to verify the stories of the two officials and check their lifestyle.