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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Walang sense': Ridon says Leviste's remarks on House MOOE split 'misleading'

'Walang sense': Ridon says Leviste's remarks on House MOOE split 'misleading'

Published Jan 7, 2026 03:23 pm

At A Glance

  • Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has described as "misleading" Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste's apparent interpretation that the House of Representatives' maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) is being "divided" among congressmen.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (left), Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Facebook)
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (left), Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste (Facebook)


Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has described as "misleading" Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste's apparent interpretation that the House of Representatives' maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) is being "divided" among congressmen.
"Actually, I have to be clear kung bakit ayokong masyadong pag-usapan yung sa MOOE kasi I've seen (Actually, I have to be clear why I don't want to talk too much about the MOOE issue because I've seen)...the MOOE table of congressman Leviste," Ridon said in a press briefing Wednesday, Jan. 7.
"He basically just divided it among the number of congressmen--318. That doesn't make sense," Ridon said of his House colleague and first-time lawmaker.
For weeks now, Leviste has been insinuating that the House's 2026 MOOE worth ₱18.58 billion is being split evenly among House members.
"Ang panawagan ko po muna ay para sa transparency kung saan napupunta ang ₱18.58 [billion] House MOOE budget, na katumbas ng ₱58.42 [million] kada congressman (My call, first of all, is for transparency on where the ₱18.58 billion House MOOE budget goes, which is equivalent to ₱58.42 million per congressman)," the Batangueño said only last Monday.
Ridon says such allocation doesn't make sense since there are offices in the House--like its secretariat--that aren't under any congressman but still incur operational costs.
"Kasi siyempre, it's an entire House pie, hindi ho ba? So, parang it's a bit misleading (Because of course, it’s an entire House pie, isn’t it? So, it’s a bit misleading) for a table to basically just divided by the number of congressmen," he said.
"Kasi (Because) as though that entire pie is being divided among 318 congressmen, that is not how it actually works, di ba (right)? So, I don't want to comment on it because it is basically misleading," added the lawyer-solon.
Leviste had earlier claimed that House members received a ₱2-million Christmas bonus--something that was denied by more senior congressmen.
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