OFWs in Saudi support calls for transparent Senate


By Florante Catanus, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau


AL-KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia – Filipinos in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia shared their take on the issue of cash gifts in the Philippine Senate.
“Dapat kung ano man ang natipid nilang ‘yon dapat isauli sa treasury dahil pwedeng magamit ‘yon sa ibang departamento ng gobyerno katulad ng education, katulad ng health kung saan kinukulang ng budget ang mga ‘yon at mapakinabangan talaga nila yong pera” said Eduardo Rodriguez a parts manager in Damman.
Rodriguez was reacting to news reports that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gave some senators P1.6 million as additional maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).
For Ben Pujeda, a freelance photographer in Al-Khobar, the money should have been given to the poor and to the victims of natural calamities in the Philippines.
“Dapat ang perang ‘yan na kay Enrile ay ipinamigay po sa mga mahihirap na nangangailangan lalo po yong mga dinaanan ng kalamidad at ‘yon pong ating mga senador na pinagbigyan niya, kung totoo man yon, may mga pera na po ‘yan. Sana po makita nila yong hindi kumakain at hindi nakakatikim ng kapirasong kahit isang hiwang manok,” said Pujeda.
Al-Khobar supervisor Bong Gonzales sided with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for a private firm to audit the Senate.
“Para sa akin, agree ako na ipa-audit sa private firm para maging transparent sa taumbayan kung saan napupunta ang pera ng Senado,” he said.
The OFWs could only hope that the issue will be resolved soon to prevent it from tainting the image of the Senate.

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