Daily Tribune
Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste filed a House Resolution urging Congress to allocate P14 billion of its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to victims of disasters around the country.
Jerod Orcullo
Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste has filed a House resolution urging Congress to redirect P14 billion from the House of Representatives' Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to support relief and recovery efforts for communities devastated by the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.
Leviste said each member of Congress receives P1 million monthly in MOOE for travel, public affairs and other operational expenses, claiming that reimbursements for these allocations do not require receipts.
For his part, the lawmaker said he has not claimed his MOOE since October 2025 because of what he described as a lack of transparency in the use of the fund.
“Hindi ko alam bakit kailangan sa pangalan ng congressman ang mga cheque tapos walang kailangan ibigay na reimbursement para sa pondong ito,” Leviste said.
He added that he believes lawmakers already provide assistance to their constituents beyond the amount covered by the MOOE.
The Batangas solon also claimed to have received information that some members of the House, particularly those who voted in favor of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, were granted additional allocations or “break bonuses.”
According to Leviste, while such a practice has allegedly existed in Congress for years, it further highlights concerns over the equitable distribution of government funds.
He pointed out that some lawmakers representing earthquake-affected districts in Mindanao, including General Santos Lone District Rep. Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles, supposedly did not receive similar additional allocations, including funding for government assistance programs such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the Department of Health's Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIP).
Leviste maintained that the proposed P14 billion reallocation would provide immediate assistance to victims of the recent earthquake while promoting greater accountability in the use of congressional funds.
He also called on members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to be more transparent in how they utilize their respective MOOE allocations within their districts.
