La Union congressman admits receiving Palace ‘cash gift’

La Union Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr. admitted yesterday he received a paper bag containing cash shortly after he and more than 180 congressmen met with President Arroyo last Thursday in Malacañang.

Dumpit told reporters that some 10 House members from Region 4 (Southern Tagalog) who were seated with him during the breakfast conference with the President and colleagues from Region 1 (Northern Luzon) also received the same paper bags with cash.

“The funds were for our projects,” he said.

Asked if they all received the same amount of P500,000, Dumpit said, “Siguro (maybe).”

Dumpit is the second congressman to admit receiving cash after last Thursday’s meeting with the President in Malacañang.

Last week, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. admitted receiving P500,000 contained in a paper bag after the Palace meeting.

Dumpit made the admission after he and three colleagues exchanged views with journalists at the Ayes and Nays news forum in Quezon City.

He initially answered “no comment” when asked if he received P500,000.

Responding to the same question, Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon said, “I do not want to add to the story.”

A third congressman, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, responding to a query from The STAR, sent this text message: “As the Americans would say, I can’t confirm nor deny.”

Dumpit said his “no comment” answer did not mean he was lying.

It was unusual for congressmen to receive cash for their projects. They do not even receive checks. What they get is a copy of a SARO (special allotment release order) from the Department of Budget and Management.

A SARO is an authority to spend a specified amount of taxpayers’ money for specified projects.

The authority is not given to congressmen but to implementing agencies, which usually choose the lawmakers’ favored contractors to carry out their projects.

The P500,000 cash that Governors Ed Panlilio of Pampanga and Jonjon Mendoza of Bulacan admitted receiving after meeting with Mrs. Arroyo in Malacañang, also last Thursday, was contained in small gift bags.

But not all governors who were present at the meeting admitted receiving payoffs.

Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto of Batangas, in an interview with The STAR, said she left the meeting early to attend another activity in her province.

She denied receiving money and insisted that she was unaware of the alleged distribution of gift bags containing cash. She also said that she left her executive assistant Pedrito Dijan behind in Malacañang, but he has denied knowing about the alleged distribution.

Last Tuesday, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) said it was the source of the money given to Panlilio and Mendoza, and that it was intended for “capacity building.”

This admission, however, did not clear the issue since Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone and the officials of the LPP could be liable for administrative and criminal charges if indeed the payoffs made to governors came from LPP funds, according to a statement released by Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.

Binay, president of the United Opposition (UNO), said the LPP funds and the funds of other organizations of local officials are considered public funds.

“The LPP is funded by contributions from member provinces, and the contributions are taken from the budget of the provincial governments. These are public funds, and should be subject to auditing and standard disbursement procedures,” he said.

Binay, however, doubts the veracity of Evardone’s admission that the bags of money containing P500,000 came from the LPP funds.

He said Evardone is merely trying to shield Mrs. Arroyo, whose administration has been placed in more serious trouble after the payoff to governors and congressmen was exposed.

“This is a very clumsy attempt to manage the issue. In effect, Governor Evardone has owned up to possible administrative and criminal liabilities for what appears to be unauthorized disbursement of funds,” Binay said.

“Evardone has always been quick to defend Mrs. Arroyo and Malacañang, yet when his patron needed him most, he kept silent for 12 days. Now he says the money came from them and he expects the people to believe him? Tell that to the Marines,” Binay said.

“Why did it take Evardone almost two weeks before saying that the money came from LPP? If he had made the clarification on the day the story broke, then Mrs. Arroyo and Malacañang would not find itself in its present predicament,” he added.

Binay said he found it very odd that the LPP treasurer, Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III, was not aware that disbursements were made from the League’s “Capability Building Funds.”

“Governor Ynares should know about the disbursements since he is required to sign disbursement vouchers and checks. It is indeed puzzling that the LPP treasurer is not even aware that money was released from the league’s funds and allegedly distributed to the governors in Malacañang. If indeed the P500,000 given to Governors Panlilio and Mendoza came from the LPP funds, the disbursement process is highly questionable,” Binay said.

But Ynares has supported the admission of the LPP that the money indeed came from their organization.

“I have been in the position for about three months now and I have already signed checks for the league for annual fees and other financial assistance,” Ynares told The STAR in a phone interview.

Ynares also denied reports that he told a radio station that the LPP does not have the money to distribute to governors. – With reports from Jose Rodel Clapano, Arnell Ozaeta, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Paolo Romero