Enrile defends ‘excessive’ allowances of Senate employees, execs

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has defended the amount of allowances being received by Senate employees and executives, saying it was normal and justifiable. Enrile, who authorized the alleged excessive allowances, said he adjusted the allowances of the chamber's employees to match their counterparts at the House of Representatives when he first assumed the Senate presidency in 2008. "It's unjust, it's unfair. If one branch of the legislature gets that privilege, I see no reason why I should not extend it to the Senate," he told reporters in a chance interview on Thursday. Enrile was reacting to a television report that quoted the Commission on Audit (COA) as saying that some Senate executives have been receiving allowances between P33,000 to P200,000 every month. Among them were regular Senate personnel and employees under the Senate secretariat. Excessive? The COA, in its report, said that a director II under the secretariat receives a monthly pay of P27,000 and an allowance of P33,292; director III a pay of P28,000 and an allowance of P58,000; director IV a pay of P29,000 and an allowance of P64,081; and director V a pay of P30,000 and an allowance of P77,000. On the other hand, the Senate sergeant-at-arms, deputy secretaries, director generals, and legal counsel -- who have the rank of director VI -- receive P34,000 monthly and an allowance of P104,000. Lastly, the Senate secretary reportedly receives a pay of P48,000 and an allowance of P219,232. "Justifiable" Enrile, however, said that they also adjusted the pay of lower ranking employees to "equalize" the salary scale. He likewise said the allowances came from their savings and did not require additional outlay from the national government. "I thought that it was justifiable," he said. Senate secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes, for her part, said that they welcome the COA inquiry into the allowances of the Senate secretariat. She noted, however, that they were always transparent with their "affairs." "The salaries and allowances of Senate officials and employees were never a secret and our compensation records have always been open to public scrutiny," she said in a statement issued Thursday. She added that the grant of the allowances was based on their desire to attract "the best and the brightest" with "attractive but reasonable" benefits in accordance with existing laws. But Enrile said COA should instead focus their attention on the government owned and controlled corporations (GOCC). "They should question the big allowances of GOCCs. Those working here have allowances only in thousands, those working in GOCCs get millions." A Senate inquiry earlier revealed that some state firms issued excessive pays and bonuses despite owing the national government at least P3.2 billion in unpaid remittances. - KBK, GMANews.TV