MANILA, Philippines – Thirty-two new party-list lawmakers will get only half of the P70 million yearly allotment for members of the House of Representatives.
Speaker Prospero Nograles told reporters at the weekly Ayes and Nays forum in Quezon City the new party-list lawmakers may be entitled to the other half when the 14th Congress ends on June next year.
“They came in May (this year), so I think they are entitled to half of it,” he said.
Nograles said the House will also ask the Supreme Court to clarify its ruling allowing the 32 party-list lawmakers to sit in Congress.
“We need legal clarification,” he said in a text message, when asked whether they would look for P2.3 billion in funds for the additional House seats.
The House was not a party-in-interest in the case, which was between party-list groups and the Commission on Elections, he added.
However, Nograles said Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya was inclined to produce around P100 million to P150 million “savings” of the House and other government agencies for the 32 new party-list lawmakers.
“The ball park figure I think that would be okay, for the upkeep of the offices is between P100 million to P150 million, easily,” he said.
“This excludes their entitlements for projects. The PDAF (pork barrel) can come later.”
Nograles said the expenses of the new party-list lawmakers was not provided for in the P1.415-trillion 2009 national budget.
Nograles said accommodating the new party-list lawmakers would mean an additional P134.4 million annually for the salaries of their staff and day-to-day operations.
Nograles said new congressional offices at the Batasan Complex can be possible after the new P700-million South Wing annex is completed next year. –Delon Porcalla, Philippine Star
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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