President creates discretionary spending record

Despite campaign promises to cut presidential discretionary spending, President Ricardo Martinelli has outstripped his predecessors after only 42 months in office.

He has spent $30.7 million in funds assigned to the Ministry of the Presidency.

The latest official report from the ministry stated that about 20 percent of this amount, or $6.2 million, was spent between October and December 2012.
Former President Ernesto Pérez Balladares (1994-1999) spent $25 million, while former President Mireya Moscoso (1999-2004) $23 million, and Martín Torrijos (2004-2009) $22 million.
In his campaign, Martinelli was a hard critic of the waste of discretionary money and he made several promises, one of which was: "In order to ensure transparency in the fulfillment of the social work, discretionary items will be reduced and converted into a special fund for the care of emergencies and disasters."
The money was spent on the sponsorship of cultural activities, construction and home improvement, sports and medical expenses, among others.
The president spent $100,000 on the national soccer team and $20,000 to the soccer association for tickets to games at Rommel Fernández Stadium.
The national baseball team received $100,000 for the qualifying tournament of the World Cup.
TV presenter Carmen Sousa, who was in a delicate state of health, was awarded $20,600 for the payment of medical expenses.
The border patrol agency Senafront received $107,000 to purchase motorcycles, while $3.5 million was spent on home construction and repairs.
Some of his handouts wrre nmore controversial than others says La Prensa including a $16,431 payment to a medical account of his cousin, Roberto Dutari Martinelli, father of Álvaro Dutari, the consul-general of Panama in Houston.
He also paid for a stay at Decameron beach resort for 22 Senafront officers and their companions.
He allocated $175,462 for decorations and other expenses at the state funeral for former President Arnulfo Arias Madrid in January 2012.
In his campaign, Martinelli was a hard critic of the waste of discretionary money and he made several promises, one of which was: "In order to ensure transparency in the fulfillment of the social work, discretionary items will be reduced and converted into a special fund for the care of emergencies and disasters.”