GOCC head facing ‘pork’ raps got P342 K performance bonus

MANILA, Philippines - The president of a government corporation who is facing a criminal case before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam received a performance bonus for 2012.

Citing a report from the Governance Commission for Government-owned and controlled corporations (GCG), Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares identified the bonus recipient as Gondelina Amata, president of National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC), a subsidiary of state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines.

He said Amata received P342,000 for supposed good performance.

Amata is among 38 public officials and private citizens the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has charged with plunder, graft or malversation of public funds for their alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

The 38 include Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Ramon Revilla Jr., and detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains of the pork barrel scam.

The NBI filed plunder charges against the three senators and Napoles.

According to the Commission on Audit, NLDC was one of six “notorious” agencies used by senators and congressmen as conduits of their pork barrel funds that ended up with bogus foundations allegedly set up by Napoles.

Colmenares said other members of the NLDC board received performance incentives.

He identified them as Concepcion Dodd and Manuel Gotis, who got P342,000 each; Susuna Leones, P361,000; and Sheila de Leon, P100,000.

He said Land Bank president Gilda Pico, who chairs NLDC’s board, did not receive a bonus “because it would be double compensation.”

“Collectively, the Land Bank subsidiary’s board members got a total of P1.487million for 2012,” he said.

He added that the GCG approved the bonuses along with the so-called performance incentives of 20 other state corporations, including Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

SSS and GSIS members, who complained of poor service that they get from the two pension funds have criticized their board members for receiving millions in incentives for allegedly doing a good job.