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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Trillanes and Honasan were biggest spenders among the senators

Dear insansapinas,
What a shame for a few legislators who spent  so much money with little output as senator.
 
photocredit:Budget Travel

This was my article in the Filipino Voices in the month of January last year. The list of the biggest spenders for the year 2008 is already out and is produced below. 

Bills Filed, Bills Paid By The Senators of The 14th Congress(2007)

January 24th, 2009 by Guest Writer
I was intrigued by the news about the biggest spenders  among the 23 senators which constitute the 14th Congress. The names of the senators and their average  expenditures  for the period July to  December 2007 were published.  But how many of them can justify their expenditures thru their productivity.
How many bills did they author and filed during the same period?.
For more than a week now, using the Senate website as source, I tallied the number of bills filed by the senators.  To determine who are the most cost-efficient and productive senators, I have to use the matching concept principle, i.e. to determine the number of bills filed for the six- month period when the expenses were incurred. The number of bills filed covers the months from July to December 2007 only.
Let’s start with the biggest spenders:
Trillanes. He spent a total of P8,167,433.95 for six months. Double that for 12 months, that would amount to P16,334,867.90. How many bills did he file for the six- month period? I counted 41. He claimed it was 155 in the news. Probably he included the bills filed for the period 2008 which my in my count was only 134.
Ramon Revilla. He spent an average of 7,944,813  for six months and his output was 98 bills from July 1 to December 2007. Senator Bong Revilla spent P15,889,626.66 for 12 months.
President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. He spent P15,449,229.69 or an average of 7,724,315 for six months. He filed a total of 423 bills, a third of which which was co-authorship.
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. The senator’s expenses for 12 months amounted to P15,271,305.21 or an average of 7,635,121 for six months when he was  able to file 17 bills for the same period.
Sen. Lito Lapid. The much maligned low-profile former movie star who never participated in Senate discussion spent P15,103,242.15 or an average of 7,521,621. For six months, he filed a total 48 bills. Not bad compared to the noisy ones who produced little output.
Among the biggest spenders, Trillanes and Pangilinan are  the no–show biz people.
Let’s take a look at the Senators-presidential candidates for 2010.
Legarda. She spent a total of P7,511,829.43 for six months. Total bills filed, from July to December, 95 bills.
Mar Roxas. He spent an average of 6,905,088 ( total for 12 months is P13,810,176.81)Total bills filed for six months , 20. Low output.
Lacson. He spent an average of 7,228,080 or a total of 14,456, 161.38. Total bills filed,7. Lower output.
Manny Villar. He filed 213 bills for six months. His average expenditure is 6,221, 112 for 6 months. His total spending of P12,442,323.98 for a year is the closest to the most frugal senator Joker Arroyo who did not file a single bill. The latter senator’s expenditure is 12,293,084.06.. He claimed he had no staff except for his driver.  So how did Villar come up a number of bills with the same cost range?
The mid-range spenders are the following with the number of bills they filed:
Ed Angara. He spent an average of 6,726, 253. He filed and co-authored 66 bills for six months.
Jamby Madrigal. She authored and co-authored 11 bills with an average expenses of 7,152,889.
Gordon. He is among with the midrange expenses at an average of 7,285, 782. He filed and co-authored 34 bills in six months.
Biazon. He spent an average of 7,447, 594 with 36 bills to his name.
Enrile. This veteran lawmaker filed a total of 13 bills with an average expenditure of 7,696,852.
Pimentel. Another veteran lawmaker, he spent an average of 6,726,53. Number of bills authored and co-authored,50 bills.
Miriam Defensor Santiago.  She has the biggest number of bills filed in six months, a total of 484 which were mostly she originally authored. There were only a few bills which she co-authored with other senators. Her average expenditures were very much lower than the low output-colleagues in the Senates, 6,726,253.
Why do we need two Cayetanos in the Senate when only one is productive?
Pia Cayetano Her average expenses for six months were in the median of 6,958,154. Total bills authored and co-authored not with her brother, 46.
Peter Cayetano. He is listed among the biggest spenders among the new senators with an average of P7,490,153.03. He filed a measly 2 bills for six months which are just co-authorships.
Other new senators with big expenses are:
Noynoy Aquino. For an average of 7,223,950 expenses, he authored only 4 bills in the year 2007. His 2008 output did not yield much either.
Juan Miguel Zubiri. He authored and co-authored a total of 82 bills in six months at  an average expenditure of P7,486,542.34.
Francis Escudero. He produced 31 bills which are mostly co-authorship at an average expense of P7,782,864.79.
Gringo Honasan. Another new lawmaker, he spent P8,109,000.39. with 15 bills filed under his name.
Based on the statistics above, the most cost- efficient senator is Miriam Defensor Santiago. She is also the most productive senator, followed by Jinggoy Estrada. Santiago’s bills however were mostly her own.
It is intriguing to know what types of expenses did  these senators spend on. Publicity perhaps in the form of press release every time they filed a bill ?
By the way, I have also the statistics on bills filed for the period January to June 30, 2008.
Source of the number of bills: Senate of the Philippines website

Note : the amountd given are for six months.


Expenditures for the year 2008 for the whole year.

1. Honasan with a total of 17.9 million or an average of 8.9 million for six months.

2. Estrada with a total of 17.521 million or an average of 8.7 million for six months.

3. Revilla with a total of  17.28 milliom or an average of 8.63 million for six months.

4. Pangilinan with a total of 17.224 million or an average of  8.6 million for six months.

5. Trillanes with a total of 17.224 million or an average of 8.6 million for six months.

6. Benigno Aquino III with a total of 16.791 million or an average of 8.3 million for six months.

7. Juan Ponce Enrile with a ttoal of 16.295 or an average of 8.1 million for six months.

8. Rodolfo Biazon with  P16.021 million or an average of 8.0 million for six months.

9. Alan Peter Cayetano with a total of 16.017 million or an average of 8.0 million for six months.

10.  Alan Peter Cayetano with a total of 16.017 million or an average of 8.0 million for six months.
11. Pia Cayetano with a total of 15.925 million million or an average of 7.9  million for six months.

12.  Juan Miguel Zubiri . with a total of  P15.916 million or an average of 7.9  million for six months.
13. Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. with a total of  P15.766 million or an average of 7.8  million for six months.

14. Sen. Jamby Madriga with a total of l, P15.568 million or an average of 7.7 million for six months.

 15.  Francis Escudero with a total of  P15.518  million or an average of 7.7.0 million for six months.
16.Loren Legarda, with a total of P15.451 million or an average of 7.7.0 million for six months.

17.  Miriam Defensor-Santiago, with a total of  P15.377 million or an average of 7.6 million for six months.
18. Lito Lapid, with a total of P15.355 million  or an average of 7.6.0 million for six months.

19. Panfilo Lacson,with a total of  15.214 million or an average of 7.6 million for six months.

20. Manuel Roxas II,  with a total of P15.038 million or an average of 7.5 million for six months.
21. Richard Gordon,  with a total of P14.642 million or an average of 7.3 million for six months.

22. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., . with a total of 14.382 million or an average of 7.1 million for six months.
23. Sen. Joker Arroyo  with a total of  P12.646 million or an average of 6.3 million for six months.


 Pinaysaamerika

2 comments:

Chino F said...

Hey Cat, Nice list. Hope other people would compare the list of achievements to the spending records to find out who the cost effective Senators are.

cathy said...

Chino,
People should know who wasted the nation's resources by not doing anything. :(