CLARK FREEPORT – The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) appealed yesterday to Congress to first investigate the “excessive” salaries and allowances of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) executives, under its former president and general manager Winston Garcia before probing other government-controlled corporations or financial institutions.
“We welcome the Congress’ moves to look into the scandalously exorbitant salaries and allowances of certain government officials, but they should begin with the GSIS,” ACT Secretary General France Castro said.
Castro recalled that in 2001, the late Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Crispin Beltran exposed the excessive salaries and allowances of Garcia’s GSIS executives, including Garcia himself, based on a 2001 report of the Commission on Audit.
He noted that the COA report in 2001 indicated that top officials of GSIS received as much as P724,000 each in Christmas bonuses, apart from their “already large salaries they received monthly.”
The report also revealed that GSIS president, with a salary grade of 31, received monthly pay of P564,869.55 although his basic salary was pegged only at P356,979.
“The lowest paid GSIS employee or the laborer with a salary grade of 3, got a monthly take-home pay of P27,021.50 including allowances and his basic salary of P14,670.
“When teachers and government employees fail to submit necessary reports to the GSIS, whether financial or otherwise, they are penalized. Why not the GSIS?” she said.
“It is puzzling and disturbing that recent COA reports being cited recently on the status of other government agencies do not mention the GSIS which lacks transparency, especially on how the funds, contributed by GSIS pensioners and members, are being used,” Castro said.
This, even as she also noted that COA’s website has not been accessible lately.
“The GSIS has been for a long time a bane for teachers and other government employees. Teachers are burdened with its illegal and exploitative policies such as the Claims and Loans Interdependency Policy (CLIP) at Premium Based Policy,” Castro said.
She called on the lawmakers “to render justice to the teachers and government employees, who have endured inadequate salaries and the exploitative GSIS policies, while GSIS executives enjoy exorbitant salaries and more than enough perks.”
“If our Congress is sincere in investigating excesses in the government service, they should prioritize investigation of the GSIS which has long been scourging teachers and government employees,” Castro added.
This even as Clark Development Corp. president and chief executive officer Benigno Ricafort dismissed as “quite inaccurate” published reports that he ranked only second to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administrator Armand Arezza in the list of highest paid government corporation executives.
A report quoting the COA claimed that in 2009, Ricafort received P14,506,466.74.
“Unfortunately, the news item is inaccurate and unfairly featured a story damaging to the reputation and integrity of our company,” Ricafort said in response to the published news item.
He said he receives a salary of only P2.078 million per year which, he noted, is the same pay he was entitled to when he assumed the CDC post in 2008.
“This was a pass-on from prior years and has not been adjusted for 2010,” he noted.
“I voluntarily stated in our board meeting sometime past, that I will discourage any upward adjustment, if any. On the Clark International Airport Corporation [CIAC] compensation of per diem, this is an entitlement as a member of the Board of Directors of CIAC representing CDC. This has always been so in the case of all my predecessors in the CDC,” he added.
“The P10 million cited as part of the P14.5 million cited in reports was actually lumped under my name and accountability, not as part of my compensation. The COA actually listed the amount as under extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses. All is subject to audit and validation,” Ricafort stressed.
“We welcome the Congress’ moves to look into the scandalously exorbitant salaries and allowances of certain government officials, but they should begin with the GSIS,” ACT Secretary General France Castro said.
Castro recalled that in 2001, the late Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Crispin Beltran exposed the excessive salaries and allowances of Garcia’s GSIS executives, including Garcia himself, based on a 2001 report of the Commission on Audit.
He noted that the COA report in 2001 indicated that top officials of GSIS received as much as P724,000 each in Christmas bonuses, apart from their “already large salaries they received monthly.”
The report also revealed that GSIS president, with a salary grade of 31, received monthly pay of P564,869.55 although his basic salary was pegged only at P356,979.
“The lowest paid GSIS employee or the laborer with a salary grade of 3, got a monthly take-home pay of P27,021.50 including allowances and his basic salary of P14,670.
“When teachers and government employees fail to submit necessary reports to the GSIS, whether financial or otherwise, they are penalized. Why not the GSIS?” she said.
“It is puzzling and disturbing that recent COA reports being cited recently on the status of other government agencies do not mention the GSIS which lacks transparency, especially on how the funds, contributed by GSIS pensioners and members, are being used,” Castro said.
This, even as she also noted that COA’s website has not been accessible lately.
“The GSIS has been for a long time a bane for teachers and other government employees. Teachers are burdened with its illegal and exploitative policies such as the Claims and Loans Interdependency Policy (CLIP) at Premium Based Policy,” Castro said.
She called on the lawmakers “to render justice to the teachers and government employees, who have endured inadequate salaries and the exploitative GSIS policies, while GSIS executives enjoy exorbitant salaries and more than enough perks.”
“If our Congress is sincere in investigating excesses in the government service, they should prioritize investigation of the GSIS which has long been scourging teachers and government employees,” Castro added.
This even as Clark Development Corp. president and chief executive officer Benigno Ricafort dismissed as “quite inaccurate” published reports that he ranked only second to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administrator Armand Arezza in the list of highest paid government corporation executives.
A report quoting the COA claimed that in 2009, Ricafort received P14,506,466.74.
“Unfortunately, the news item is inaccurate and unfairly featured a story damaging to the reputation and integrity of our company,” Ricafort said in response to the published news item.
He said he receives a salary of only P2.078 million per year which, he noted, is the same pay he was entitled to when he assumed the CDC post in 2008.
“This was a pass-on from prior years and has not been adjusted for 2010,” he noted.
“I voluntarily stated in our board meeting sometime past, that I will discourage any upward adjustment, if any. On the Clark International Airport Corporation [CIAC] compensation of per diem, this is an entitlement as a member of the Board of Directors of CIAC representing CDC. This has always been so in the case of all my predecessors in the CDC,” he added.
“The P10 million cited as part of the P14.5 million cited in reports was actually lumped under my name and accountability, not as part of my compensation. The COA actually listed the amount as under extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses. All is subject to audit and validation,” Ricafort stressed.
