Atienza: Erap and FVR did it too

Arroyo's "gift giving" to 190 Congressmen and Local officials nothing new, according to Lito Atienza.

UPDATE: "Giving cash gifts not my style" -FVR

PRESIDENT Fidel Ramos yesterday denied a statement of Environment secretary Lito Atienza that he gave cash gifts to lawmakers and local officials during his term from 1992 to 1998.

"I am sorry to disappoint Secretary Atienza (who was vice mayor from 1992 to 1998 and mayor from 1998 to 2007) but my administration was never in the habit of distributing cash gifts in envelopes or paper bags," Ramos said.

"At no time in my administration did we ever get into the practice of distributing cash gifts to congressmen and local officials for whatever purpose," he said.

"The only times we distributed paper bags were during the holiday season when indigent families were ushered into the Palace to receive their usual gift packs," he said.

Ramos stressed that even if there were funds, these were released by the Office of the President and accompanied by proper disbursement papers.