Spotlight on Philippine Government PR Contracts

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In the wake of the Philippine government's cancellation of the $75,000 per month contract with the Washington D.C. law firm and lobbyshop Venable, Malou Mangahas from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has shifted the spotlight onto other contracts. "Since 2001, the Arroyo administration has spent at least $3.7 million ... on eight multiple, loosely monitored, and largely secret consultancy contracts for eight US-based lobby and law firms," he writes. Mangahas reveals that the Arroyo administration also has a $1-million per year deal with Burson-Marsteller, a $216,000 a year contract for lobbying with Bannerman & Associates and legal advice from White & Case LLP. There have also been four other agreements, including one with Patton Boggs.