Madrigal on traveling lawmakers: 'The Senate is not a travel agency'

Opposition senator Jamby Madrigal vented her ire Wednesday over a number of senators who flew to Geneva, Switzerland to attend a conference.

In particular, Madrigal targeted the siblings Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano for both taking part in the said trip.

The Senate sent a six-member delegation, led by Villar to the annual Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference from Oct. 8 to 10. The delegation was supposed include-- aside from the Cayetano siblings-- Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., senators Jamby Madrigal, and Loren Legarda.

However, Madrigal did not go: "I wish to place on record that, I chose not to attend the IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland due to pressing concerns in the Senate, such as the JPEPA hearing and the ZTE hearing which the Blue Ribbon Chairperson scheduled upon my inquest."

"I do not condone the use of foreign missions as a pretext for "family trips," she said.

She noted that family trips and so called political party conventions abroad is an extravaganze that betrays the people's trust.

"In all of my official trips abroad, I have not nor do I intend to bring any member of my family, or so called party mates on a cleopatra cruise down the Nile," she declared.

"The Senate is not a travel agency," she said.