Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez spent the most among more than 300 members of the House of Representatives in 2020, the Commission on Audit has revealed.

For the said year, expenditures of various congressional offices totaled P7,942,637,984.19 consisting of disbursements for salaries of congressmen and their office staff; supplies, local and foreign travel and public affairs funds.

COA also released on Tuesday, Dec. 14 the computed Senate expenditures that totaled P2,255,982,995.84.

COA also computed expenditures for committee operations, maintenance and operating expenses, equipment, furniture and fixtures and communications.

Cayetano, who represents the Taguig-Pateros district, spent P34,073,427.91 in 2022.

COA said Leyte Rep. Romualdez, on the other hand, incurred a total P31,789,761.90 expenditures on the same year.

Cayetano and Romualdez spent more than their colleagues because they handled the highest posts in the chamber which required additional expenditures in the hiring of staff, contractual employees and consultants and other operational expenses.

Incumbent Speaker Lord Allan Velasco who replaced Cayetano as the Lower House’s highest official early November, 2020 spent P25,162,521.92 during the year.

The amount disbursed by Velasco’s office was nearly the same as many congressmen, especially those who headed committees or were assigned to legislative bodies such as the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Appointments.

In most part of 2020, Velasco headed the Committee on Energy while awaiting for his turn to takeover the speakership from Cayetano.

The office of Duterte Youth Partylist Rep. Ducielle Marie Cardema spent P3,514578.18, reportedly the lowest among congressmen, apparently due to her late entry as House member. She took over the congressional seat in Sept. 2020.

House members who died in 2020 also registered the lowest expenses among the lawmakers. They are the late Camarines Sur Rep. Marissa Andaya, P15,202,549.15 and Sorsogon Rep. Bernardita “Ditas” Ramos, P17,734.138.41.

Except for Andaya and Ramos, congressmen who completed 12 months in 2020 received a uniform P3,542,292 in salaries.

COA said the total disbursements for salaries in 2020 amounted to P1,067,402,180.42.

Committee chairmen and those with other appointments were given allowances ranging from P200,000 to P240,000 for the year. Government spent P8,898,089.79 for the said allowances.

For foreign travel, the Lower House disbursed P176,283.44 during the year. ON the other hand, local ‘consultative travels’ cost the chamber P388,255,997.81.

Lawmakers received an average of P1,064,040 for their communications expenses. For this expenditure item, a total P322,245,086.06 was spent, COA disclosed.

Meanwhile, congressmen were also granted P2,880,000 each in ‘public affairs fund.’ Aggregate amount spent for this reached P869,569,548.39.

A total P2,257,843,255.42 was disbursed to cover salaries and allowances of central office staff of House members.