Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Joselito Atienza was criticized by some senators for failing to attend the Senate budget deliberations last week because he left for the Pacquiao-De la Hoya match in Las Vegas.
?Marami sa amin ang napikon kay DENR Secretary Lito Atienza. Imbes na nandito po siya para i-defend ang budget ng DENR, nanonood po siya sa laban ni Manny Pacquiao,? said Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri during Tuesday?s morning sessions.
He said some senators even threatened to reduce the 2009 budget of Atienza?s Office of the Secretary to P1.
Atienza eventually showed up in Tuesday’s afternoon session.
Except for a few sarcastic questions from Sen. Ana Consuelo ?Jamby? Madrigal, however, Atienza escaped largely unscathed.
?Would the secretary have traded being in the presence of the Senate to be in the presence of Mr. Pacquiao in defending P3 billion increase of budget? I would like to know what are his priorities,? said Madrigal, the new chair of the Senate environment committee.
Atienza emphasized that not a single government centavo was spent for his trip as all his expenses were shouldered by Pacquiao, ?from the airfare to the hotel accommodation to the ringside tickets.?
Speaking in defense of Atienza, Angara also told Madrigal the Senate was originally scheduled to take up the Senate budget on November 27 but rescheduled it to December 3, about the time Atienza left for the US for the Pacquiao-De la Hoya match.
?It was not a deliberate snub of the Senate hearing as may appear but it?s a pure coincidence that it was rescheduled,? Angara said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that the senators want to finish deliberation on the proposed 2009 national budget, Tuesday night including passing it on second and third reading.
Atienza also talked with Enrile when he arrived at the Senate.
He told Enrile he hoped the senators would understand that he treats Pacquiao as his own son, which is why his presence during the Filipino boxer?s match in Las Vegas was important.
Earlier Tuesday, Atienza denied he was remiss in his job in defending his department?s budget at the Senate because of Pacquiao.
He said he took a four-day leave for the Pacquiao fight and he left his undersecretaries to work on the budget.
Atienza said his work in the DENR and his support for Pacquiao should not be compared because both are very important. — with reports from Lynda Jumilla, Maricar Bautista and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
