Rep. Suansing denies budget payoff allegations

Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee, has denied allegations of budget approval "payoffs" to House members, refuting claims made by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste.

Leviste had accused a staff member of Suansing's committee of offering him P151 million in budget allocations as informal "incentives" during the deliberations for the proposed P6.7-trillion national budget.

Suansing asserted that the House leadership does not influence individual members' voting decisions, emphasizing the collegial nature of the House of Representatives.

She stated that each member is free to vote and decide based on their constituents' needs and their conscience.

Suansing was responding to allegations Leviste made last week at an online press conference, where a person identifying herself as "Attorney Jolina" from Suansing's office contacted him via Viber.