Vacacion Grande

3rd of December Two Thousand and Seven, the day when Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leave the country with more than 30 lawmakers to visit Europe (four of whom are traveling with their spouses). More than 30 lawmakers which should be present in the session for the deliberation of the Cheap Medicine Bill, the bill which somehow will benefit the poor countrymen who cannot afford to buy medicines to cure their illnesses and likewise use alternative medicines like the herbal medicines recommended by some quack doctors or faith healers. But how can Congress pass this bill if a big number of lawmakers are absent in the middle of the deliberation of this bill?

When I heard about this news, a lot questions arise on my mind regarding this move by Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

First, why does the House Speaker allow these lawmakers to go with the President though he know that the Congress is in Session and in the middle of the deliberations of the Cheap Medicine Bill?

Second, is it a must for these lawmakers to join Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to her trip? If so, what important role should they and their spouses play for this trip that will be beneficial to the filipino people?

Third, aren't they needed in the Congress to be a part of the deliberation of the bill they created? Should they are not needed to be there, what are they doing in the Congress?

Fourth, don't they even think of the huge amount of money this delegation should spend just by visiting Europe?

By now, it is Php41 against a dollar. For this entire trip alone they will spend roughly around 17 million pesos for their 9 day vacation to Europe. Huge amount of money isn't it?

Fifth, who funded this trip? The speaker then said that the House did not spend even a single centavo for the lawmakers trip with Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, then who funded them? Is it a part of the alleged bribe handed by a certain member of the House to other lawmakers and local government officials last October 11 in a meeting at the Malacanang Palace? Note that if we divide 17 million by 34 lawmakers, each of them will spend 500,000 pesos, same amount of the alleged bribe they handed out last October. The speaker also said that some of them might be traveling at their own expense(?).

With this move by Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, many filipino people said that instead of spending this huge amount of money for traveling abroad with these "biggest delegation of House junketeers" as said by an oppositional lawmaker, might as well spend it for helping the victims of the past three typhoons that wrath several provinces in the northern part of the archipelago. Some provinces are still craving for shelter, food and clothes, while our lawmakers are there in Europe enjoying the rest of days of their Vacacion Grande.