Palace: Nothing wrong with Panlilio’s receipt of 'donation'

Malacañang on Sunday said there was nothing questionable about the P500,000 “gift" received by Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio from a Palace staff last Thursday. “There is nothing wrong with receiving a donation, provided it is put to good use," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye told Malacañang reporters. Bunye also dismissed allegations that the Palace was bribing congressmen and other government officials, amid impeachment threats against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He said giving a cash gift to Panlilio was a “non-issue," because even the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin saw nothing wrong in accepting donations. Panlilio said that on Thursday, as he was going to his car, a Palace staff handed him a brown paper gift bag stuffed with crisp P1,000 bills, amounting to P500,000. The governor said that he was told by the man who handed him the bag that the money could help in the barangay (village) elections. Panlilio said he believed the money came from public coffers as he was told that it could help in the polls. Panlilio was handed the money after President Arroyo's early morning meeting with 200 officers and members of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap). It was reported that during Mrs Arroyo's meeting with Ulap members, envelopes containing 20,000 to P500,000 were allegedly distributed to mayors and governors. After the Ulap meeting, another one was held between President Arroyo and about 190 majority congressmen. House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, who was among the 190 representatives, confirmed that the impeachment complaint against Mrs Arroyo was discussed during the lawmakers' meeting in Malacañang. - GMANews.TV