No to double pay hike for Congress

On the feast day of our Lady of Fatima, the news about double pay hike for Congress was published.

In case you missed that news, here are the highlights. Congress, invoking the principle of “equal pay for work of equal value,” proposes 1) double monthly pay for GMA to P120,000, and, 2) legislators in Congress will double their own basic salary to P90,000.

To soften the impact of double pay hike for them and GMA, they have also started to deliberate on Joint Resolution 36 which contains the provision for a new salary standardization program for government personnel, that will provide substantial increases in their basic salaries.

Of course, Congress wants to approve this resolution quickly so the people will not get angry about their double pay hike.

But the Filipinos have every right to be angry and to show their discontent clearly and to stop this resolution from being approved!

One, how dare Congress give themselves fat increases for what type of work? The congressmen hold sessions for two to three hours form Monday through Wednesday, while senators work till Thursday. They could reason out that their work is really 24 hours, 7 days a week as their constituents continue to seek their assistance outside of Congress. That may be so but certainly, it is not the Congressmen and Senators who meet the people but their staff who receive salaries less than theirs?

Two, how dare Congress think of double pay hike in the midst of increasing poverty and massive hunger among our people? If they are saying the budget can accommodate the salary increases, both for them for GMA and for the government employees, why don’t these public servants first give their intended double pay hike for the most needy?

Third, is their pork barrel and other perks not enough for them? They are already receiving millions each year for their so-called public projects. They have their own vehicles and grand offices, and more. And they still want more?

The news item wrote that aside from their basic pay, House members receive allowances for travel and district office expenses. All told, they get between P300,000 to P350,000 a month. Aside from salaries and allowances, pork barrel funds of P200 million a year are allocated for each senator and P70 million for each House member.

   Fourth, how dare they think of doubling their salaries by about 100% when the majority of our hardworking laborers can hardly be given a P50 or P100 monthly increase?

Not only Congress and GMA but the proposed Resolution 36 would also double the salary of Vice President Noli de Castro to P103,000. Undersecretaries would receive P78,946, assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684. The new rates represent an increase of more than 100 percent.

Fifth, how dare Congress compare government to the private sector! Public service is certainly intended to be service for the public and if so, then compensation does not have to be extravagantly high, at the expense of the poor and other welfare needs of our people!

Imagine, even as our budget deficit is said to hit an unprecedented level of P270 billion this year, the top officials of this land are prioritizing their own double pay hike!

Their time table is to have their pay hike resolution approved by June 3. Let every people cry out their disgust and anger and stop this immoral, unnecessary, insensitive, and selfish resolution from being passed!

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