‘Entitled’ Carrion irks senators

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco apologized to senators on Monday over a "demand" made by the head of the Philippine Retirement Authority to hasten the plenary debates on the national budget.

PRA general manager Cynthia Lagdameo Carrion texted senators, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, asking them to expedite the hearing on the budget of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources so they could start tackling the DoT's own proposed allocation for 2024.

The PRA is an agency attached to the DoT. Carrion has reportedly personally apologized to the senators.

During the hearing, Senator Jinggoy Estrada called out Carrion for "lecturing" senators on how to do their jobs.

"We are doing our job, and no one has the right to tell us to stop talking here. It is our duty and job to perform our work here in the Senate, and you don't have the right to tell us what to do here," Estrada said.

Carrion reportedly messaged Estrada, Zubiri, Senator Pia Cayetano, and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros while the DENR budget was under interpellation.

Hontiveros railed against the "sense of entitlement" shown by Carrion.

Zubiri admitted that Carrion is his friend but called the latter's actions "inappropriate."

"It was very surprising that this person, Ma'am Cynthia, who is a friend of mine, we're family friends, and if it were just me, I would just let it go. But when I heard that you were texting other members of the Senate, particularly with more insulting messages to Senator Risa Hontiveros, to stop asking about the budget of the DENR already because you want the DOT to be next in line, that is not proper. That is inappropriate," Zubiri said.