Ridon: House members' 13th, 14th month pay bonus covers all gov't employees

Members of the House of Representatives got 13th and 14th month pay as bonus just like the rest of the tenured government employees, Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon said Wednesday.

Ridon made the clarification in response to Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste’s statements that each member of the 317-strong House of Representatives got a P2-million bonus.

“Ang bonus po diyan ay iyong 13th and 14th month bonus na ibinibigay sa lahat ng kongresista na nakukuha po ng lahat ng kawani ng gobyerno,” he said in a Super Radyo DZBB interview.

(The bonus referred to is the 13th and 14th month bonus given to all congressmen which is also given to all government employees.)

Ridon then said that other December fund releases to the House members are for the regular maintenance and other operating expenses, which are not actually worth P2 million each.

“Lahat po ‘yan [na December fund releases] ay para sa mga opisina, sa mga pangangailangan ng bawat distrito at constituents, ng party-list para sa kanilang mga aktibidad at programa,” Ridon said.

(All of those are for the offices, for the needs of each district and their constituents, as well as the needs of party-list groups for their activities and programs.

“Pero ang malinaw, hindi po ito pinepera ng mga kongresista. Hindi po ito para sa mga bahay [ng kongresista]. Hindi po ito para sa mga kapritso o bakasyon ng mga kongresista na insinuation ni Congressman Leviste. These fund releases are for our constituencies,” Ridon added.

(But what is clear is that congressmen are not just out to get money. This is not for their houses. It is not for their whims or vacations as insinuated by Congressman Leviste.)

Ridon then said that the House budget is subject to Commission on Audit auditing procedures, just like any other government agency.

“The districts have constituencies, same with party-list House members who serve certain sectors such as senior citizens of regional parties, and there are oversight and post-audit mechanisms for this,” Ridon said.

“If there are irregularities in such spending, that will be flagged by COA in its annual audit report,” Ridon added.

Leviste, in a separate Super Radyo DZBB interview on Wednesday, conceded that December fund releases are for operations expenses of the House members but underscored that the House members should be transparent in how they spend such public funds.

“In fairness po, kailangan talaga ang budget na ito. Pero ang panawagan ko lang, maging transparent tayo saan ito napupunta,” Leviste said.

(In fairness, this budget is really needed. But my appeal is that we all be transparent as to where these funds will go.) —KG, GMA Integrated News