Cayetano: ‘Parallel audit’ of Senate funds legal

MANILA, Philippines – “Don’t hate your enemies. Just open the Senate’s books.”

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano will formalize his call for an audit of Senate funds, the subject of a controversy that sparked an explosive exchange between him and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a press conference on Friday, January 25, Cayetano said he will file a resolution on January 28 calling for what he labeled a “parallel audit” to be headed by the Commission on Audit (COA). He said an audit by a private firm or an “independent people’s audit” can be under the COA’s supervision.

“There’s no constitutional or legal impediment to a private audit. The Senate can pay for it,” he said.

Cayetano explained that he was not satisfied with Enrile’s statement that the senators as “well-meaning, knowledgeable ladies and gentlemen” will know how to use public funds.

“He is confusing the issue. He admitted he drew P250,000 from the savings of his office. My question is: how did he liquidate that? He is the one liable,” Cayetano said.

He said the usual practice was to give the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to senators, and not the P250,000 Christmas gift that came from Enrile’s office last December.

In December 2012, Enrile gave senators a Christmas cash gift of P250,000 each, on top of an additional MOOE of P600,000 in November. He however excluded 4 critics from receiving P1.6 million each in additional MOOE last December.

The minority leader said the audit is a simple process and Enrile can just release the documents on the liquidation.

“Actually, I want to stop using the word ‘audit’ but more accountability process or showing of documents …. We’re not looking for needle in a haystack. This isn’t a witch hunt but a transparency and accountability move.”

Cayetano warned against a double standard, saying in the case of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, the Senate was able to obtain his various records.

‘I didn’t link her romantically to Enrile’

Cayetano said he did not want to dwell on argumentum ad hominem or personal attacks but responded to allegations from Enrile and his resigned chief of staff, lawyer Gigi Reyes.

On Friday, Reyes issued an apology to Cayetano for calling him a “hypocrite” and just by his first name in a radio DZMM interview. Reyes called Cayetano a hypocrite for accepting MOOE in previous years but only complaining about it now. 

Asked about Reyes’ apology, Cayetano said, “No need for apology. No ill will sa akin. I haven’t read [her letter]. May nagsabi lang apology pero may pitik pa rin.” (There’s no need for an apology. There’s no ill will for me. I haven’t read her letter but someone told me her apology still had a swipe against me.)  

“I just mentioned she called us names and I don’t like that because I even tell my staff not to speak against the other senators. I did not link her romantically [to her boss].”

Enrile and Reyes have cited allegations of an illicit affair as a factor in the chief of staff’s resignation. They both denied the charge. Reyes resigned after Enrile and Cayetano’s word war on Wednesday.

The minority leader said the affair was not what he referred to when he said that for every lie of Enrile and Reyes, he had “100 truths” about them. He declined to enumerate what these were.

Cayetano also said Enrile should “do his research.” He said contrary to Enrile’s statement, he was not the chairman of the Committee on Accounts under the leadership of Senate President Manny Villar.

He also corrected Enrile’s statement that it was former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who funded his and his sister campaign.

“You can check with Comelec who donated to my sister’s campaign. Check her [ad] minutes because we didn’t have that much funds then …. I don’t know where the Senate President was in 2007. I was with the Genuine Opposition.”

On statements he is only making noise for his reelection bid, Cayetano said, “With all due respect, in the recent survey, I’m statistically tied on number two.”

“I don’t have a problem with [the United Nationalist Alliance], Vice President Binay, former President Estrada and their allies. I respect them but let’s stick to the issue.”

Cayetano dismissed the possibility of a reconciliation with Enrile. 

“Magso-sorry si Senate President sa floor. Pupuntang Laguna, dadagdagan pa banat sa tatay ko. Bahala siya pag binista ng tatay ko.” (He will apologize to the Senate floor then go to Laguna and add attacks against my father. It’s up to him if my father visits him from his grave.) 

In a Laguna sortie on Thursday, Enrile further dug up the issue about the late Cayetano’s debt, saying he cried to him to ask for a job after handing the rape case of starlet Pepsi Paloma. 

Family joke but fresh wounds

Cayetano said his family was shocked by Enrile’s statements digging up his late father, Renato Cayetano’s debt, including the wood of their house.

“Biruan lang namin sa pamilya na wala nga kaming utang na loob pero may utang kaming kahoy. Sa susunod daw, pati daw yero, pati semento, pati hollow blocks, icheck na namin saan galing.” (It’s just a joke in the family that we don’t have debt of gratitude but we owe wood. Next time, we should also check the roof, hollow blocks, where they came from.) 

“Pero ang alam ko talaga binayaran yun ng aking ama kasi bank loan yun. Kung may nagregalo ng kahoy, thank you. ‘Di ko alam na kung regalo, kailangan tumahimik pag may issue.” (But what I know, my father really paid for the bank loan. If someone gave wood, thank you. I did not know if there’s a gift, you should keep quiet when there’s an issue.) – Rappler.com