Koko, ex-speaker Velasco biggest Congress spenders in 2022

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III was the biggest spender among senators in 2022 with almost P130 million, while Sen.

- CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE

Mark Villar was the most frugal with expenses at only P35 million.

In the Senate report published in The STAR, Pimentel spent P129,986,851 from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022, for salaries and benefits of his staff, meetings and conferences, consultation fees, supplies and materials as well as rental of motor vehicles and equipment Villar spent P35,783,642.

At the House of Representatives, former speaker Lord Allan Velasco turned out to be the biggest spender for fiscal year 2022, according to figures in the published report. The newspaper ad was authenticated by Isaiah Reynoso, the House's supervising auditor.

The lone Marinduque congressman incurred a total of P39 million in expenses. He had three other districts under him.

Pimentel was followed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian with P121,380,201 and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri with P119,988,086.