Congress did not apply discounts in 181 unjustified absences

Congress has not yet regularized the discounts against parliamentarians who were unjustifiably absent from the commissions of this institution.

The Republic was able to corroborate that, according to the Head of the Department of Commissions, in the last legislature, 62 congressmen missed their work groups without giving a reason on 181 occasions, and received their salary as if nothing had happened.

This newspaper warned that throughout the 2021-2022 legislature, when Congress was presided over by the acciopopulist María del Carmen Alva, the presidents of 19 commissions did not report in time who were the missing ones to whom no discount was applied. At the close of this note, the head of the Commissions Department, Patricia Durand, explained that for this month it will only be completed to regularize said pending.

The congressmen with the most absences are Wilmar Elera, from Somos Perú; Elvis Vergara, from Popular Action; Eduardo Salhuana, from Alliance for Progress; and Juan Burgos, from Avanza País. Their absences from the commissions they make up correspond to dates on which key issues were discussed.

The last legislature, Wilmar Elera was alternate spokesperson for Somos Perú. Despite the responsibility that being a spokesperson implies, he had 15 unjustified absences from the Inspection commissions, follow-up to the reconstruction of areas affected by the El Niño phenomenon, Transportation, Housing and the Pacific Alliance.

Elera did not participate in most of the sessions of the Supervisory Commission in which the alleged acts of corruption of the Government of Pedro Castillo were discussed. On May 10, when the president of this commission, Héctor Ventura, presented the preliminary report on the Sarratea case, Elera did not go.

The former spokesperson for Somos Perú was elected vice president of Congress in this legislature. However, he was censured because on August 2 the Judiciary sentenced him to six years in prison for aggravated collusion. Elera appealed, but Judge Ronald Soto stressed that as long as a higher court does not rule, the congressman must serve his sentence and requested his capture. To date, Elera has not been found.

In second place is the populist Elvis Vergara, who was absent 14 times from the Oversight Commission. While he was not present, the alleged irregularities in the Covid-19 pandemic and the creation of a commission to investigate the purchase of oxygen were discussed. This last request was proposed by Vergara and even so he was not present.

But the absence of the parliamentarian becomes more relevant on the seven dates in which the alleged acts of corruption of President Castillo were addressed in the case of the fugitive former secretary of Palacio Bruno Pacheco and Petroperú. In these sessions, former ministers, former officials and businessmen were present, including Karelim López. The lobbyist accused Vergara of being part of ‘Los Niños’, a group of congressmen in collusion with the government.

The same thing happened last Thursday in the discussion of the vacancy motion for Edward Málaga. Vergara participated in the plenary session and spoke out against the measure. However, at the time of marking assistance, he was absent. The Republic tried to communicate with the legislator, but received no response.

With the same number, figure Eduardo Salhuana (APP), absent in the commissions of Special Capital Peru, Citizen Security and Ethics. In dialogue with this medium, the congressman acknowledged his absences. “I have had to participate in the Board of Directors, Spokespersons, Permanent Commission, ordinary and special commissions, in addition to being the only congressman from my region. It is difficult to attend all of them, ”he said.

This ranking is also led by Juan Burgos, from Avanza País, a recurring absentee to his ordinary commissions and to the Plenary of Congress. This newspaper sought his version, but at the end of this note he did not answer the calls.