No funds from the Philippine Consulate General in New York was used during the recent state visit of President Arroyo in the United States. This was clarified by Philippine Consul General to New York Cecilia Rebong.

"News reports have reached the Philippine Consulate General in New York insinuating that our funds were used to pay for expenses related to the recent official visit of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to New York and that this arrangement would cause possible delay in the payment of salaries of Consulate personnel. News also said that somebody from the Consulate General relayed this information to some media agencies in Manila,” Rebong said in a statement.

“I categorically state that these reports are not true. The funds allocated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to the [Philippine] Consulate General in New York are never used to pay for expenses related to official or working visits of the President,” Rebong said.

“The Consulate funds were not used to pay for hotel accommodation, transportation, meals, or any expenses related to the recent New York visit of the President. More importantly, nobody from the [Philippine] Consulate in New York contacted any media agency in Manila about this matter and therefore, all these allegations supposedly coming from a Consulate staff are false,” she added.

Meanwhile, party-list solons urged President Arroyo and members of her entourage in a recent trip to the United States to stop making excuses and apologize for enjoying lavish dinners there while a large number of Filipinos wallow in poverty.

Party-list Reps. Walden Bello of Akbayan and Raymond Palatino of Kabataan, in a press conference, said members of the presidential party, including House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles, should say sorry for their “unacceptable behavior” instead of throwing lame excuses.

“They have to make an apology for such unacceptable behavior, including Speaker Nograles, and that they should promise that they will not do it again,” Bello said.

Palatino said, “They should tell the truth and apologize to the public.”

Bello also urged Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to finally break his silence and stop avoiding the media.

“He should make a very clear statement. It’s about time he speaks to you (media). We should not let this issue rest until all the facts come clear,” Bello told reporters.

The President and her entourage in the US visit were flooded with criticisms for allegedly spending $20,000 on a dinner at the posh Le Cirque Restaurant in New York and another $15,000 on a dinner at Bobby Van’s in Washington, D.C. early this month.