Senate office defends allowances

MANILA, Philippines - Allowances of more than P1million a year granted to Senate officials and employees are in accordance with law, the Senate said yesterday.

In a letter to the Commission on Audit (COA), Senate Secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes said the Senate leadership granted the allowances without violating the Salary Standardization Law.

“While the Senate leadership is authorized pursuant to the General Appropriations Act to fix and determine salaries, allowances and benefits of all its employees, the Senate ensures that said authority is exercised equitably among all its workers (officers and rank and file personnel alike), and within the limits prescribed in its budget,” she said.

Reyes said Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile does not exercise the authority to grant benefits arbitrarily. 

“He only exercises his authority to grant such allowances and benefits to its personnel after a long and deliberative study, taking into account what is fair, just and reasonable based on the present realities which confront its workers daily,” she said.

Reyes said Enrile approved the grant of allowances after he was fully convinced that the officials and employees of the House of Representatives have been enjoying the same allowances for more than 15 years. 

Enrile extended similar allowances to its rank and file personnel, she added.

Reports said the grant of additional allowances was recommended by the secretariat to Enrile upon his assumption as Senate President in November 2008. 

Enrile was reportedly reluctant to agree, but he was persuaded by top Senate executives.

The COA reported that officials of the Senate Secretariat received over P200,000 in bonuses and allowances in 2009.

They also enjoy P1,082,799.84 each in extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses, except for Reyes who receives P1,980,796.

The amounts are separate from their basic salaries, representation and transportation allowances, clothing and medical expenses as well as those under the bracket of “others” as audited by state auditors in 2009.

Employees get only P10,000 monthly transportation and grocery allowance.

Reyes said the Constitution provides that no elective or appointive public officer or employee shall receive additional double or indirect compensation unless specifically authorized by law, or accept, without the consent of Congress, any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind from any foreign government.

“In conformity with the above cited constitutional provision, the Senate maintains that the grant of allowance by the Senate President to its employees is authorized by law,” she said.

Speaking to reporters at the Kapihan sa Senado yesterday, Enrile said he is taking responsibility for the granting of extra allowances, which started upon his assumption as Senate President in November 2008.

Based on 2009 COA report on the salaries and allowances of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) and national government agency executives who received salaries and allowances, Reyes received P3,338,867 in total salaries and allowances.

Arnel Jose Banas, deputy secretary for administrative and finance received P2,263,772.84; Edwin Bellen, deputy secretary for legislation, P2,171,850.23; deputy secretary for external affairs Peter Paul Pineda, 2,151,439.84; Senate Economic Planning Office director general Ronaldo Golding P2,168,926.55; Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office director general Yolanda Doblon, P2,159,984.84; Blue Ribbon Oversight Office Management director general Rodolfo Noel Quimbo, P2,096,501.84; Carmen Arcenio, former protocol officer, P2,134,084.84; former Senate legal counsel David Jonathan Yap, P2,163,946.14; retired General Jose Balajadia, P2,125,054.84; and Juan Borra Jr., head executive assistant, P1,572,204.88.