By Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday defended the allowances of certain Senate officials that are now deemed as excessive, and took full responsibility for authorizing them.
During a bingo game in celebration of the Senate's 94th anniversary, Enrile told Senate employees they should not feel bad because while they are receiving thousands in allowance and bonuses, officials of other agencies are getting millions.
Enrile also said in a press briefing that upon the request of division heads of the Senate secretariat, he adjusted their allowances during his first term as Senate president to the same level being received by their counterparts at the House of Representatives.
"I thought that was justifiable," he said. "It was taken from the budget of the Senate at the time. There was no additional outlay from the national budget."
In another interview, Enrile said employees at the House have been receiving those allowances for 15 years, while Senate employees are getting much lower.
"So, I said 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 said.
The senator likewise said that even the basic pay and allowances of rank-and-file employees were increased using the Senate's savings.
For Enrile, it would be better for the Commission on Audit (COA) to focus on the bonuses of officials of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs).
"'Yong mga 'yon, ang allowances, milyun-milyon," he said. "Ano ba naman 'yong allowances ng mga nag-tratrabaho dito, libu-libo lang."
Senate secretary: Nothing wrong
In a statement, Senate Secretary Atty. Emma Lirio-Reyes welcomed the COA's inquiry into the allowances of Secretariat officials, saying there's nothing wrong with them.
According to a COA report, Reyes receives a monthly allowance of P219,000 aside from her basic pay of P48,000.
"The grant of these allowances is anchored on our desire to attract the best and the brightest to serve the Senate with attractive but reasonable benefits in accordance with existing laws," she said.
"As a matter of policy, we have always exercised transparency in all our affairs. The salaries and allowances of Senate officials and employees were never a secret, and compensation records have always been open to public scrutiny," the statement added.
Meanwhile, a former senator thinks the Senate must also begin to look into the allowances of its officials, although it has yet to be established if they are indeed excessive,
Former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Senate officials must justify their allowances.
"If we as an institution criticize other agencies of government for excessive allowance, palagay ko we should also take a look at our own selves and act accordingly," he told reporters in a forum.
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