Kampi gave cash gift to solons--party exec

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 03:12pm (Mla time) 11/06/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- The money that was given to congressmen in
Malacañang last October came from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s
Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Partner of the Free Filipino),
A party official admitted to INQUIRER.net Tuesday.

Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita Villarosa of the House of Representatives
and regional head of Kampi, issued the confirmation shortly after
Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. identified her as the
source of the fund that was given to him during the legislators’
breakfast meeting with the President at the Palace last October 11.

Arroyo founded Kampi, a member of the ruling coalition at the House,
along with Speaker Jose de Venecia’s Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.
Villarosa said Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Kampi
chairman, knew about the disbursement but did not know that it would be
distributed in Malacañang.

“Siyempre, chairman yun e. He [Puno] knows the disbursement pero
hindi niya alam ang detalye, [Of course, he’s chairman. He knew about
the disbursement but not the details],” Villarosa said in a phone
interview. “Tinawagan niya ako. Hindi ba dapat kay JDV [Speaker Jose de
Venecia] manggagaling yun? E sabi ko nga, maliit naman yung galing sa
kanya, P200,000 [He called me up. Isn’t the money supposed to come from
JDV? But I told him that the money that would come from the Speaker was
small, P200,000],” she said referring to the monthly allowance of House
members.

Villarosa said she took it upon herself to distribute the money at
the Palace because the legislators were leaving for their respective
provinces for the congressional break.
“Kasi paalis na kami. E andun ako [in the meeting]. Instead na ako
ang mamigay, pinabigay ko na lang [We were about to leave. I was there.
So instead of me giving the money, I asked somebody else to give it],”
she said. She refused to identify those who had received the money except for Abante Jr., who had admitted to receiving P500,000.

Asked why Kampi would give assistance to Abante, a member of the
ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, Villarosa said it was because
her party provided assistance on a case-to-case basis, whether they
were with the administration or the opposition bloc. “Yung humihingi, binibigyan naming [Those who ask, we give]. Pag
Christmas season o kung may bagyo [If it’s the Christmas season or if
there’s a typhoon], it’s normal to us. May assistance funds kami [We
have assistance funds] but we don’t encourage them to come to us,” she
explained.

“It’s a case-to-case basis, Sinasabi lang sa akin yung request,
hindi naman kami kasi ganun ka pormal [The request is being forwarded
to me. It’s not that formal]. Sasabihin sa akin [They’ll tell me], I
need your help then I’ll tell them, let’s see. But that’s normal,” she
pointed out.

Even opposition members sometimes also sought assistance from their party, Villarosa said. In fact, Villarosa said some opposition members whom she did not name had even asked assistance from Kampi when they traveled to China recently.

In the case of Abante, Villarosa said she gave him money because he
had a flock ministry and was leaving for Saudi Arabia that time.
Villarosa said she only came out now simply because they did not want all lawmakers to seek financial help from Kampi.

Asked why Kampi had allowed allegations of bribery to be heaped on
the President, Villarosa said it was because they were confident that
Arroyo would not be affected by the issue. “Hindi naapektuhan ng ganyang news si Presidente [The President is not affected by news like that]. Focused siya sa economic reforms [She is focused on economic reforms]. Alam din naman naming [We also know] that the truth will come out later. We’ll just take the news as they come and it will end one day. Hindi kami agad nagre-react sa [We don’t immediately react to] newspapers. Anyway, it can be corrected later,” she said. But Villarosa admitted that in passing, she had told the President about the disbursement.

When asked, however, why the President had ordered an investigation
on the matter when she told her about it, Villarosa said, “Of course,
she [Arroyo] has to do that.” Villarosa insisted however that there was nothing irregular about the cash distribution and that there was no need for an investigation since the money was a private fund. “What is the investigation for? That is party fund. We’re not supposed to be audited for that. That is our private fund and it should not be subjected to an investigation,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Hindi naman namin kinuha yan sa [We didn’t get that from] Malacañang. We have our own accounts, we have our own funding, we have our own organization,” she added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Abante spilled the beans on Villarosa. Abante said Villarosa made the call Monday after he was interpellated by Sorsogon Representative Salvador Escudero of the opposition about the money the Manila lawmaker was given. “Girlie [Villarosa’s nickname] and she told me that ‘I’m the one who actually disbursed the funds,’” Abante said in a phone interview. “Tinawagan niya uli ako kanina [She called me again today]. Sabi
niya sa akin [She told me] that ‘the funds that were given to you and
the other congressmen came from the party funds of Kampi’ and I told
her ‘Ganun ba [Is that so]?’ Sabi ko na lang ‘salamat [I told her ‘Thank You’].’” Abante said he was surprised to receive the money from Kampi since he was a member of Lakas. “Hindi naman ako magka-Kampi. Pero hindi ko na kinuwestiyon. Pinag-iisipan ko na lang ngayon kung ibabalik pa o hindi. Kung ibabalik ko mapapahiya naman sila [I will not join Kampi. But I did not question it anymore. I am thinking however whether I should return the money or not. If I return it, they might get embarrassed],” said Abante.

Asked if Kampi’s admission would exonerate the President from bribery allegations, Abante said, “In a way, yes she will be.” Arroyo had been accused of bribery after several lawmakers and even local officials admitted to receiving money from the Palace ranging from P200,000 to P500,000.
Reports said the money was in exchange for the officials’ support for Arroyo who is facing several impeachment complaints at the House.