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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Ginastusan ng gobyerno': Teves questions P800,000 gov't spending to bring people to Senate Degamo probe

'Ginastusan ng gobyerno': Teves questions P800,000 gov't spending to bring people to Senate Degamo probe

Published Apr 17, 2023 05:41 pm
Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. (Screenshot from Zoom)


The Philippine government just spent at least P800,000 in transportation cost to bring personalities from Negros Oriental--including Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo--to the Senate hearing in Pasay City on Monday, April 17. Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr., who did the math, wants to know why government was willing to go through all that trouble. “Bakit ginastusan ng gobyerno ‘yung pribadong tao para sa pribadong pakay? (Why did the government spend for private people for a private purpose?)" asked the controversial lawmaker from Visayas. The Senate hearing--carried out by the Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa-chaired Committee on Public Order--delved into the March 4 assassination of Mayor Degamo’s husband, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. Teves, as per the Department of Justice (DOJ), is the mastermind behind the killing. Teves said the government tapped a C-130 military transport aircraft to carry people from Negros Oriental who had been invited to the Senate probe as resource persons. According to him, a C-130 aircraft consumes approximately 260 gallons of fuel per hour. He described it as a slow-moving aircraft, thus the actual flight to Metro Manila takes longer compared to a commercial flight. “Ilang tao ang kinarga nila sa C-130, kung pinasakay nila yun ng commercial [flight mas mura] (They transported some people via C-130, had they been flown via commercially, it would've been cheaper)," noted Teves. It only costs P5,000 per passenger to get a commercial flight from Negros Oriental to Manila, he said. His P800,000 estimate does not include the depreciation of the aircraft, the payment for the pilot, landing fees, and other expenses for the trip. During the same press briefing, Teves said that the slain Degamo was an ally of the current  administration. Teves supported the presidential candidacy of then-Senator Manny Pacquiao during the May 2022 elections. The boxing icon-slash-lawmaker finished third in the Palace race. Teves is currently out of the country.

Related Tags

roel degamo Ronald Bato dela Rosa Arnolfo Teves Jr. C-130
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