Labor group demands probe on unauthorized perks of PEZA officials

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), likewise on Tuesday called on appropriate government agencies to conduct an immediate probe on reported ‘misappropriation’ of fat bonuses to officials of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

“We must stay vigilant over the pork scandal but should never lose sight of anomalies committed by crooks at the lower level,” said PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza.

The group said it was disgusting to learn that PEZA, an agency known for investment promotion but negligent for promoting workers’ rights inside the country’s economic zones, repeatedly rewarded its officials with fat bonuses.

In a report released Monday, the Commission on Audit (COA) found that PEZA officials and employees partook on ‘unauthorized’ bonuses amounting P48.5 million in 2012. COA said PEZA officials and employees received P23.5 million in anniversary bonuses in February last year even though 2012 was not a milestone year for PEZA.

Administrative Order 263 dated March 28, 1996 provides the grant of anniversary bonus to officials and employees of government entities on the occasion of its milestone anniversary. But State auditors said a milestone year as prescribed by Section 2.4 of the rules refers to the 15th anniversary and to every fifth year thereafter.

COA also said PEZA officials and employees got P25 million in Christmas gifts without legal basis or approval from the Office of the President.

Fortaleza said that while his group, in principle, supports the grant of incentives as reward for hard work or productivity, misappropriating public funds in the form of bonuses for work that hardly had any impact on the sorry plight of workers inside EPZAs, “is a despicable thing” to be ignored.

The group pointed out that hundreds of thousands of EPZA workers, particularly in Calabarzon and Cebu, do not enjoy the minimum labor standards such as security of tenure and freedom to organize and collectively bargain because PEZA officials do not think that it is also their job to uphold and defend these rights.

Habitual

The labor group likewise noted that misappropriating ‘bonuses’, ‘pay hike’ and ‘allowances’ had become habitual in PEZA.

In a decision dated July 3, 2012, the Supreme Court affirmed the CoA September 2009 decision ordering the PEZA ex officio Board members to refund P5,451,500 worth of per diems they received in 2006.

In 2010, COA’s yearend report also found that the PEZA Board had disbursed unauthorized salary increases in the last half of 2010 amounting to P93.65 million without securing prior approval from the Office of the President as mandated under 1994 Congress Joint Circular No. 1.

PRESS RELEASE
Partido ng Manggagawa
24 September 2013
Contact: Wilson Fortaleza
09178233956

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