Only the President, the Vice President, the Senate President, the House of Representatives Speaker, and the Supreme Court Chief Justice are allowed by law to have motorized escorts.

Administration Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago pointed this out when she criticized Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Ronaldo Puno, of having a ‘’convoy bigger than that of the President.’’

“He went around Metro Manila with a garish entourage, embedded in the middle of a convoy of big sports utility vehicles (SUVs), sirens screaming and flashing,’’ she said in a privilege speech describing Puno as ‘’the Avatar of Corruption.’’

Not even senators, except the Senate chief, or Cabinet members are allowed by law to have armed escorts using sirens, she said.

Puno, whom Santiago also tagged as ‘’Punong Magikero,’’ has allegedly ‘’been trying to live up to his self-proclaimed reputation as a political operator, meaning a person who manipulates this principal into the belief that electoral fraud and subsequent governmental corruption, will result in victory.’’

Santiago claimed that the DILG secretary ‘’caused the following disturbing tactics – the ominous transfer of the fighting capability of the national police to Metro Manila; and the equally ominous transfer of local police chiefs, starting on Jan. 9, 2010, and including the following provinces: Pangasinan, Cavite, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Leyte, etc.’’

“Punong Magikero sells himself as a criminal 'kingmaker' because he has unique ability to persuade sitting presidents to give him access to, and control of, large financial resources, which he uses to manipulate people, perceptions, and even the results of elections. But apart from corruption, he has not exhibited any particular ability; his best asset seems the capacity to put his conscience to sleep,’’ she said.

Santiago put the blame squarely on Puno for her defeat in the 1992 presidential election which was won by President Fidel V. Ramos.

“Punong Magikero has been the obsequious lackey in turn of Presidents Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo. At present, he juggles all three of them,’’ she added.