UPDATED: Palace gives allies P200K each to block impeach move

From the Tribune:

While the opposition is now in full swing, pushing the impeachment case against President Arroyo, Malacañang was said to have sweetened the pot by handing out “goodwill money” to its allies in the House of Representatives, to double their efforts in blocking the opposition members from getting the nod of several administration congress-men to sign the complaint.

Some known congressional allies, one of whom is a congresswoman known to be staunchly supportive of Mrs. Arroyo, were reported to have received the P200,000 initial “goodwill” money from still unidentified government fund sources.

The money is meant to “convince” the administration allies who have privately committed to support the impeachment complaint against the President not to sign the complaint. They were said to have been promised P1 million plus additional project-funding in their respective districts, by Malacañang.

A highly reliable source from the House of Representatives named a female legislator from Luzon and one from Region 1 as among the first few members of the House who had already benefited from the “well-oiled money machinery” of Malacañang, which money reportedly is sourced not only from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) but also from the Road Users' Tax.

The female legislator, sources said, had indiscreetly asked a fellow congressman if he had already received his share of the goodwill money since she already obtained her P200,000 last Wednesday.

“She practically admitted it earlier, then denied it but later admitted it directly when she was confronted by others,” the source, who requested not to be identified, told the Tribune.

The other congressman was also said to have bragged about the “gift” he had received, but quickly claimed “it was not intended for the killing of the impeachment complaint. These two congressmen are members of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), Mrs. Arroyo's political party.

Another congressman said if members of Kampi got only P200,000, some members of the Lakas had already gotten their share of P1 million each. “That's why they are being called the P1 million men of GMA.”

Some of these legislators come from the Visayas region. “There are Visayans who admitted to us that the budget for this Malacañang gift came from the NCA but they said they would sign anyway because it really wasn't GMA's money.”

Inuulan na talaga ang mga tongressmen ng pera ng bayan...

UPDATE: More on the frantic attempts by the administration to buy our tongressmen's support.

Administration congressmen led by House Speaker Jose de Venecia hope they will get lucky this weekend as well. House members say the Speaker and his wife Gina have been making frantic phone calls and visits, and making even more frantic promises. Congressmen have reportedly also been getting offers of projects from cash-rich government entities like PAGCOR (Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp.) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

In a press conference today, party-list Rep. Eulogio “Amang” Magsaysay Jr., of the Alliance of Concerned Educators said two congressmen and three other persons called him the past week. The offer: P500,000 not to sign the impeachment complaint and an assurance of P5-million worth of projects.

Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, House deputy minority leader, also accused the administration of offering all sorts of inducements, including appointments of congressmen’s protégés to plum government posts.

Pro sabi rin ni pro-Admin Congressman Prospero Pichay na binabayaran rin raw ng opposition ang mga lumagda sa impeachment complaing.

Pro-Arroyo representatives, meanwhile, say that the opposition is offering payoffs as well. Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay says his opponents have a war chest courtesy of ousted President Joseph Estrada.

I believe Pichay... NOT!!! LOL!

UPDATE: More coverage here, here and here.