Escudero slams MWSS, DOE excessive perks

MANILA, Philippines – Re-electionist Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday lashed out at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for granting excessive perks to their personnel.

Citing a 2011 Commission on Audit (COA) report, Escudero noted that the MWSS and DOE continued to grant excessive allowances and benefits to their personnel.

The COA report noted that the P6.39 million in allowances and benefits that MWSS gave to its personnel in 2011 was P5.88 million more than what was allowed in its operating budget.

The COA also recently reported that officials and employees of the DOE received more than P60.3 million in unauthorized yearend financial benefits and subsidies in 2010 and 2011. The COA asked the DOE personnel to refund the P78,000 they each received.

Escudero, who is running under the administration coalition Team PNoy, lamented that the officials of MWSS and DOE have taken a u-turn back to the crooked path with their requests for a status quo on the perks that their agencies have been enjoying.

“There must be no let-up in the campaign for good governance and anti-corruption. The daang matuwid (straight path) policy of the President is in full effect, there is no room for backsliding,” Escudero said.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Escudero also noted that the state subsidies granted to the government-owned and controlled corporations went up to P3.07 billion in the first two months of the year, up a hundred percent from the P1.53 billion during the same period in 2012.

Based on data from the Bureau of Treasury, the subsidies amounted to P244 million and P2.82 billion in January and February, respectively.

Escudero recalled that in the first State of the Nation Address of President Aquino, the Chief Executive condemned the misuse of government funds through excessive granting of perks and incentives among state agencies and firms which he said was part of the crooked path where “for a long time, our country lost its way.”

“Let’s not forget that just three years ago, we were up in arms over these excessive perks. We should not forget so easily, otherwise we run the risk of repeating these mistakes simply because we let our guard down,” Escudero said. –Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star)