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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
January 4, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — For the sake of transparency, congressmen should post on Facebook how they used their P2-million “Christmas bonus,” said Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste.
“Actually, it is best to call on all my colleagues in Congress to let us all upload on Facebook where the P2 million went. If that happens, I cannot say anything more,” Leviste said over radio dzMM. The Batangas lawmaker posted many of his political pronouncements on Facebook.
He said members of the House of Representatives were also receiving P1.5 million for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, another P1.5 million for Easter Sunday and P1 million every month from the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for office budget, based on revelations by Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco.
He said the “Christmas bonus” and the P18.58-billion MOOE of the House of Representatives for 2026 have become major transparency issues.
“Now, it is an issue because there’s no clear use of proceeds for Congress and the budget,” he said, emphasizing that spending even small budget of local government units “needs receipts and liquidation.”
“Some say it is legal. It has long been a practice and it makes it worse if it is being done for so long,” he added.
“Let me make it clear, the issue here is not only the P2 million. With the strong call for transparency by the people, we need to make clear not only the P2-million bonus, but the whole P18.58 billion which, if you will divide by 318 congressmen, it is P58 million per congressman,” the Batangas lawmaker said.
He said he was glad Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno and Bicol Saro party-list Terry Ridon admitted receiving P2 million.
Puno, however, denied that it was Christmas bonus, saying it was merely “additional funding” for the requirements of lawmakers’ districts.
“You will have Christmas party with your barangay captain, have health activity, you will do consultations, many things,” Leviste quoted Puno as saying.
“What was released during the last day of Congress from the MOOE reached to P2 million. All of that are for the offices, the needs of the district. The only bonus there are the 13th and 14th month given to the congressmen. In previous Congress, there are such kind of money also,” Leviste said, quoting Ridon.
“Cong. Tiangco has also called for transparency among congressmen regarding their use of the budget of Congress,” Leviste said in a statement.
“In 2025, the monthly salary of a congressman is P334,059. If you will add the 13th month and 14th month bonus, P1-million monthly office budget and P2 million for the Christmas requirements, the salary and MOOE of each congressmen has reached to almost P4 million,” he added.
Leviste said the monthly salary of congressmen has been increased from P334,059 to P342,310 this year.
“If we will add the office budget, break bonuses and other MOOE, the total salary and MOOE of each congressman will reach P22 million,” Leviste said.
“I don’t take my MOOE and monthly salary. But I am not saying that this is illegal. I am just questioning why these, the use of budget, are not made public by Congress. Why do our MOOE has no liquidation of receipts and why our MOOE increased from P10.75 billion to P18.58 billion in the 2026 budget, or an increase of P7.83 billion that is not reflected in the committee report and just suddenly appeared in the substitute bill,” he added.
Leviste said it is not clear where the entire P18.58-billion MOOE will exactly go.
He said the P18.58-billion MOOE is equivalent to a P58.42-million MOOE for each congressman per year.
“Part of the MOOE goes to salaries, utilities and facilities of Congress, but I am also questioning it because part of it goes to the consultants, including the keyboard warriors or social media trolls who are also the ones defending the MOOE budget of Congress,” the Batangas lawmaker said.
Leviste maintained that he was questioning the P2-million “Christmas bonus” because its release coincided with the voting on the 2026 national budget.
He said lawmakers received P1.5 million each in October when Congress approved the 2026 national budget and another P2 million in December when the chamber the ratified it.
