Ilongga senator dares Enrile 
to debate on TV; BP shoots up

After reports of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile giving cash gifts amounting to millions to senators broke out, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is set to ask the Supreme Court if heads of government offices have the authority to use their savings at their discretion, according to a report by ABS-CBN News.

This revelation has further fueled her tiff with Enrile.

Meanwhile, Commission on Audit chief Ma. Gracia Pulido Tan said that heads of agencies do have that power, the online new website reported.

“If she said that, then she may have overlooked the constitutional provisions on due process and equal protection. I hope she did not mean that COA rules vest unlimited discretion on every head of office. Every discretionary use of budget funds is always limited by constitutional provisions,” Santiago said.

“Enrile admitted that he is giving away taxpayers’ money of some P2 million as gifts to senators. And the COA does not see anything wrong in that? Suppose next year, the Christmas gift for a senator is raised to P3 million, and the year later, to P4 million. Does COA mean that the amount is unlimited? We are talking of taxpayers’ money here,” Santiago asked.

The online news website also reported that Santiago dismissed criticisms that she herself received Senate savings in the past.

“They are talking from a position of total ignorance. When I was first elected senator in 1995, I returned my savings at yearend to the Senate. The next year, I refused to get my so-called additional pork barrel on the ground that it had no legal basis. This was featured on the front page story of a prominent daily. Sometime later, I asked the Senate budget director to give me a rundown of the total income of every senator. The Senate President at that time issued a ban on the release of Senate finance documents, even to senators like myself,” she said.

Santiago also lambasted anew Enrile, who refused to debate with her and called on her to resign instead.

“Enrile does not even have the guts to face me at a public televised debate. Instead, he has been hiding behind the tails of his attack dogs. He has definitely gone off the deep end by attacking me on a personal basis. He has resorted to arguments based on personalities (argumentum ad hominem) which is not allowed in any debate,” Santiago said.

ABS-CBN News Online also reported that yesterday, Enrile retorted by saying, “Mabuti naman at siya ang naging spokesman ko. Alam mo takot ako sa utak ni Miriam eh.”

"Ang backer ko sa Senado mga Liberal, mga Nacionalista, eh siya lang naman ang may ayaw sa akin eh," Enrile added.

He alleged that Santiago wants him ousted as Senate president, which the lady senator denied.

HYPERTENSION

Meanwhile, after lambasting Enrile over ANC yesterday, suffered from hypertension, causing some of the blood vessels in her right eye to burst, according to Dr. Rodolfo Chuanico, her ophthalmologist.

According to Elsie Gayo, a registered nurse who works in Santiago’s office, Santiago’s blood pressure was 190/115. The nurse was contacting Dr. Esperanza Cabral, a cardiologist, who is Santiago’s personal doctor.

According to Santiago’s office, Santiago’s right eye was noticeably red and with red blood clots around the pupil while having photos with television staff after appearing in the early morning TV show ‘Headstart” Wednesday.

”Apparently, Santiago developed hypertension after appearing on (sic) the early morning TV show,” according to press statement from the lady senator’s office.

Enrile, 89 years old, recently accused Santiago of frequent illness.

Santiago admitted she has been absent for certain periods because of hypothyroidism and later because of hypertension during the recent impeachment trial.

Her blood pressure was taken daily by the official Senate doctor and nurse during the impeachment trial of then Chief Justice Renato Corona last year.*abs-cbnnews/PNA