Some 6 months ago, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo went on a 3-country European junket with an entourage of 192. Included was the entire First Family of 9 persons, 34 congressmen and their spouses, plus 50 of her business cronies.
In just one year, by the end of 2007, President Arroyo has travelled to at least 18 countries! She boarded the plane every 20 days, and of course, with her large entourage, she spent over P588 million. But that was only last year.
In 2006, she travelled to 13 countries and spent P398 million. In 2005, she travelled to four countries and spent P154 million.
Knowing all these figures, it makes one wonder where she gets all the money. But that is not difficult to imagine.
A recent report by the Commission on Audit (COA) showed that in 2007 Arroyo’s foreign and domestic travels totalled P622.6 million. That’s 239% more than the all the salaries of the employees in the Office of the President which would include all executive offices, agencies, commissions, and committees under her.
In addition, the COA report showed that P618.6 million was disbursed as “donations” to unknown beneficiaries. And add to that another P531.9 million for all types of expenses such as confidential expenses, consultancy expenses, extraordinary expenses, representation expenses and allowances, other personal benefits, year-end bonuses, “cash gifts,” and honoraria. The sum is a whopping P1.8 billion (AUD45 million).
On the night of June12, Arroyo hosted a glitzy reception at the Malacanang Palace for the diplomatic corps and the country’s elite. What is appalling was the ostentatious display of pomp at the Malacanang reception, especially the revival of the elitist dance, the Rigodon de Honor. Arroyo handpicked the 20 couples — the country’s rich and famous or, one might say, the cream of Gloria’s “Enchanted Kingdom” – who participated in the Rigodon. The last time the Rigodon was performed in Malacanang was on June 30, 1981 during the third inauguration of President Ferdinand Marcos. Here in Sydney, dancing the Rigodon happens every year during the Philippine Community Council’s celebration of Philippine National Day.
After all the speeches at the June 12th reception had ended, the media people were unceremoniously told to leave. Thus, nobody from the media witnessed the Rigodon de Honor except one — outgoing Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye. Bunye disclosed and described the Rigodon in detail — including the names of the participants — in his weekly newspaper column.
Arroyo should have told him to leave the reception too. Arroyo’s junkets and high-maintenance lifestyle make a lot of people wonder if she realized that the country is in a state of chaos and decay. Recent polls show that seven out of 10 Filipinos cannot afford to buy food nor pay their electric bills. With the price of rice going up as high as P50 per kilo today, how can a family of five survive on a daily wage of P70? Yet, we have the country’s leader squandering money left and right that could otherwise be used to provide shelter and food for the powerless poor. Is she likened to a modern day equivalent of Nero who fiddled while Rome was burning?