INSIDE CONGRESS

It seemed like only yesterday when the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution urging President Aquino to suspend immediately the “excessive and unwarranted” allowances, bonuses, incentives

and other perks of board members of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs).

That quick action by the Senate to prevent further erosion of government revenues was admirable.

As noted then by Sen. Franklin Drilon, sponsor of the resolution, the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System was about to give each of its members a two-month bonus and the speedy adoption of the resolution would prevent this.

Congress followed that up with the enactment of the Public Enterprise Governance Act of 2010 that rationalized the perks and bonuses of GOCC and GFI officials. Drilon said this would put an end to the “unwarranted and obscene” bonuses and allowances being enjoyed by the governing boards of state-run enterprises. Bravo! What an exemplary action of safeguarding the people’s money!

But, wait a minute! How would you differentiate the “unwarranted and obscene” bonuses of GOCC and GFI officials from the P1.6 million in additional maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) given to senators and P500,000 given to each congressman last Christmas? If giving themselves extra bonuses and allowances is obscene for GOCC and GFI officials, why shouldn’t it be obscene among lawmakers? What’s sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander?      

Government employees get only a 13th-month bonus. That’s why senators were aghast when some GOCC officials gave themselves a two-month bonus each. I might be poor in math but I believe P1.6 million or P500,000 is more than twice the monthly salary of P75,000 of each senator and congressman. Oh, how dense of me! That P1.6 million or P500,000 is not a bonus but just additional MOOE  derived from savings of the chamber, right? Well, not according to Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago who called the savings “the grandmama of all scandals.”

 “The Constitution allows savings to be used by the office at the end of the year.  But in reality, the head of office manipulates the books and creates so-called savings, by refusing to fill up vacancies, or refusing to buy essential office supplies or services, or capital equipment.  These so-called ‘enforced savings’ are then distributed among the highest officials, in the guise of Christmas
bonuses,” Santiago contended.

She called on the Commission on Audit to reveal to the public the total annual income of every senator and congressman. Each senator receives a monthly pay of P75,000, a monthly budget of P2.2 million for his office and staff and annual budget of at least P5 million for heading a committee.

And what about the supposed 10-percent share of some congressmen and senators from their “pork?” Each senator gets P200 million a year and each congressman, P75 million except for four closely associated to Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who gets not even a centavo. To these, should the additional MOOE from savings be included?

I have no doubt that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile could defend the legality of parcelling out the chamber’s MOOE savings to senators and Senate employees. I will not even question his motive.

I also don’t agree with those who say that JPE did this to bribe senators into keeping him in office. I believe JPE when he said he was ready to get out anytime he no longer enjoys the trust of his colleagues.

This practice of giving lawmakers something extra before yearend is not of recent vintage. I remember one session day before the Christmas break in the Eighth Congress when a congressman passed by the media gallery with a brown envelope. When asked what the envelope contained, the “transparent” congressman replied: “P50,000 galing kay Mitra. Di na masama ito!” From just P50,000 to P500,000 is a long way indeed! And the P500,000 pales in comparison to the P2.23 million received recently by some senators.

JPE admitted exercising this practice of giving out savings as additional MOOE of senators. “The only thing I find humorous about this whole controversy is that I am being accused of “giving”, albeit
generously to most, but not as generously to a few…4 to be exact,” JPE said in a statement.

Sure, this controversy would not have arisen if only Senators Miriam, Antonio Trillanes 4th, Pia Cayetano and Alan Peter Cayetano received as much as their other colleagues. However, I don’t think other people would find this issue as humorous as JPE does. Some might even be weeping now.

Going back to the perks enjoyed by GOCC and GFI officials, the senators and congressmen did not call them illegal but characterized them as “excessive, unwarranted and obscene.” They then asked the officials to return the money. Shouldn’t legislators do the same with their additional MOOE?

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