WASHINGTON DC – President Arroyo has defended the sizeable group of Filipino lawmakers, Cabinet members, and local executives joining her visit to the United States from criticism that they are just on a holiday or a junket.

The President said House Speaker Prospero Nograles and other Filipino congressmen are scheduled to attend a number of meetings with their American counterparts at the Capitol Hill on Thursday (Friday in Manila).

Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Lito Lapid are also expected to meet the RPUS Friendship Caucus, a group of American lawmakers supportive of Philippine interests. Santiago chairs the Senate committee on foreign relations committee while Lapid heads the Senate committee on games, amusements, and sports.

“I’m happy here to be with you with an official delegation who will be meeting with their counterparts. Speaker Boy Nograles and several members of Congress will be attending various meetings with members of Congress tomorrow,” the President said during a meeting with Filipino community leaders at the Willard Hotel here.

Nograles, in a separate interview, also said the more than 20 congressmen accompanying the President in the US are not on a junket. He insisted that they are on a “working visit,” citing a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the US Congress Friday ahead of the President’s meeting with President Barack Obama.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita assured that these congressmen, not

Malacañang, have paid for their own travel expenses. He said the President only brings essential officials needed to advance her mission of peace and progress.

Among those seen in the President’s entourage were Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr., Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Jr., Quezon City Rep. Mary Ann Susano, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

Included in the President's party were several Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Giberto Teodoro, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando and his wife Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando.

Meanwhile, the United Opposition (UNO) expressed regret Thursday over the evident lack of propriety of the 20 congressmen accompanying President Arroyo on her US presidential trip.

“We can only wonder what agenda 20 congressmen would talk about in the United States that they cannot talk about in the country. It seems that they are mere jetset kibitzers who would want to junket at the Filipino people's expense,” United Opposition NCR (UNO-NCR) Chairperson and San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito said in a statement.

“In previous meetings with US Presidents, only three to four representatives actually accompany a visiting President in the Oval Office,” he added.

Ejercito explained that Mrs. Arroyo's reported entourage is impractical particularly with the country's dire economic situation. He said in the US, official trips by lawmakers are on the downtrend due to the economic slowdown.

There were originally 100 lawmakers seeking to be included in the US trip.

“Apparently, GMA's presidential visit is being hyped by

Malacañang as a seeming acceptance of her by the international community. Arroyo's administration is known to have been banking for an invitation ever since Obama became President of the US,” he said.

“We believe, however, that the US would want an assurance from GMA that the 2010 elections will push through without a change in the Philippines' constitution,” he added.