DEPUTY Speaker Yevgeny Vincente Emano from the second district of Misamis Oriental defended himself December 18 after a list of his budget insertions was leaked by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
In the report released December 15, Emano ranked tenth among the 317 congressmen in the country who has the highest budget insertions.
The PCIJ report claimed that Emano inserted P645 million from the original 2026 budget in his district that totaled P5.7 million. The adjusted amount is now pegged at P6.3 million.
Speaking during the yearend gathering of Tagoloan municipal employees, Emano said budget insertions are legal because congressmen need funding for immediate needs of their constituents.
“For example, kung naay hangyo si kapitan nga wala naapil sa regular budget kay wala kini na-anticipate daan, diha kini nato kuhaon,” Emano said.
Emano was the guest of honor during the activity as he was a former mayor of the said town.
