EDITORIAL - Traveling in excess

One nearly forgotten detail about the Aquino presidency is that in the last years of her administration, Corazon Aquino stopped going overseas so precious public funds could be put to other uses. Her decision was reached after she scrapped a visit to Italy following the bloodiest attempt to topple her government in December 1989.

For the next two and a half years, President Aquino stood by her decision, turning down invitations for trips overseas. Instead she focused on the numerous problems besetting the nation in the painful transition from dictatorship to democracy. She also shot down suggestions that she extend her stay in power.

In contrast, the beneficiary of people power II seems hell-bent on seeing every corner of the globe in the final months of her term. Yesterday Malacañang admitted that President Arroyo had exceeded her budget for foreign travels by a whopping P1 billion since 2001 — and the third quarter isn’t even over yet. Next month the President is expected to be in London, where steaks and lobster are even more expensive than in Washington. Later in the year there are the annual summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 

Her propensity for globetrotting on taxpayers’ dime has rubbed off on her sycophants in Congress. Despite intense criticism, about two dozen lawmakers still managed to tag along with the President in her pilgrimage to US President Barack Obama last month. Except for a representative each of the Senate and the House, those lawmakers failed to even make it to the White House lawn, much less secure a photograph with the new US president. And after reassuring the public that they were embarking on their junket using their own money, it turned out that Malacañang footed everyone’s bill after all. After the Palace demanded a reimbursement of about P300,000 each per congressman, some of the lawmakers said they would pay up — but only if the amount would be charged to the budgets of their offices.

In the age of globalization, foreign trips are unavoidable for a head of government. They can also be useful for other government officials. But the reason for such trips, the funding and expenditures must be rationalized. It is not impossible to draw a line between justifiable expenditures and sheer junkets. Anyone with decency and common sense can spot excess a mile away.