MANILA — Palawan 2nd District Representative and Bicameral Conference Committee member Jose C. Alvarez on Wednesday rejected allegations that the House of Representatives’ budget is being misused or lacks transparency, saying checks posted by Leandro Leviste on social media reflect standard and lawful disbursements given to all legislators.

Alvarez said the checks shown on Leviste’s Facebook page were not Christmas bonuses but part of the compensation and maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) provided to members of Congress to support the daily operations of their district offices.

He said these funds cover staff salaries, utilities, and basic services for constituents, adding that portraying them as suspicious bonuses is misleading.

“There is nothing irregular about the checks issued to Rep. Leviste. They aren’t Christmas bonuses as he alleges,” Alvarez said.

“These are lawful, audited, and well-documented disbursements that every member of the House receives to cover the salaries of legislators and to ensure their district offices can function properly and deliver services on the ground.”

Alvarez also disputed claims that the House increased its budget for 2026, saying the proposed allocation is lower than the previous year’s budget.

“In 2025, the House had a budget of Php33.7 billion. For 2026, this was reduced to Php27.7 billion,” he said. “That alone should already put to rest claims that the House increased its own budget.”

He added that the alleged Php10-billion increase cited by critics refers only to the difference between the National Expenditure Program and the final General Appropriations Act after Congress exercised its constitutional power of the purse.

As a bicameral conference committee member, Alvarez said the House budget is subjected to the same scrutiny as other government agencies, including committee hearings, plenary debates, Commission on Audit review, and public disclosure.

“The House has nothing to hide. This is the most open budget in history. The whole process was live-streamed, and the budget remains open, documented, and subject to audit. Claims of misuse should be backed by facts, not baseless speculation.”