4 top BSP execs highest paid in gov’t

Four executives of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) topped the list of highest-paid government officials under the Duterte administration in 2016, according to a Commission on Audit (COA) report.

At the very top was outgoing BSP Gov. Amado Tetangco Jr., earning P15.9 million, followed by incoming governor Nestor Espenilla with P12.28 million, and deputy governors Diwa Gunigundo with P12.24 million and Vicente Aquino with P12.14 million.

In fifth place was Government Service Insurance System president and general manager Robert Vergara who received P9.74 million in salaries, allowances and other benefits, based on COA’s 2016 Report on Salaries and Allowances published on the COA website this week.

Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) chair Patricia Licuanan was the top salary-earner in President Duterte’s Cabinet, earning up to P2.58 million, the COA report said.

She was followed closely by Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial who was paid P2.4 million last year, and Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña who received P1.36 million.

The report covered all financial perks for other positions the officials were holding concurrently or had held prior to joining the Cabinet.

National Anti-Poverty Council Lead Convenor Liza Maza was fourth with P1.24 million, while Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II was fifth with P1.2 million.

The rest of the top 10 highest-paid Cabinet members were Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol with P1.19 million, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez with P1.18 million, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar with P1.16 million, and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi with P1.16 million.

Vice President Leni Robredo was much farther down the list with a salary of P1 million.

All the secretaries were actually only at the low end of the COA salary list dominated by executives from government-owned and -controlled corporations  and government financial institutions.

Overall, Licuanan ranked only 342nd on the list, while Ubial was 396th and Dela Peña, 1,672nd. Robredo was the 2,682nd highest-paid official overall.

Teresita Herbosa, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, placed eighth overall with P8.34 million.

In the judiciary, Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita De Castro was the top earner with P8.14 million to place her 12th overall.

A total of 8,729 officials from 981 government agencies and instrumentalities are included in the COA list, which is accessible online.