Nothing anomalous in being top Senate spender – Trillanes

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV defended yesterday his office, which registered the highest expenditures in the Senate in 2014 based on a Commission on Audit (COA) report.

“The COA report did not mention any anomaly. It only showed that I hired the most number of employees. There’s nothing illegal about that since my office is also the most productive in terms of principally authored and sponsored national bills passed into law,” Trillanes said.

“What is anomalous are those who didn’t pass any law at all despite the budget they spent for their respective offices,” the senator said, without directly identifying any senator in his insinuation.

Ironically, Trillanes is among the three senators who have been leading the exposés against Vice President Jejomar Binay over alleged corruption in Makati.

Based on the COA report published recently, Trillanes spent P86.13 million to carry out his duties.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III followed Trillanes with P76.9 million, while Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano spent P76.17 million.

Trillanes, Pimentel and Cayetano are all part of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating the allegations of corruption against Binay and his family.

The COA said the Senate spent P1.587 billion in 2014, including P225.114 million for professional and consultancy fees.