MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)'s salary and benefits scheme will be audited after President Benigno Aquino III exposed during Monday's State of the Nation Address "excessive" paychecks and lavish benefits received by employees and executives.

In his first SONA, Aquino disclosed that MWSS employees are receiving more than P30,000 in monthly salary on top of additional benefits. The President also added that members of its Board of Trustees receive P2.5 million annually aside from car benefits, technical assistance, and loans.

"Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees... Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo," Aquino said in his speech.

According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson, he has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to create an independent body that will look into the figures.

"I have already written to the Commission on Audit because that is the responsibility of the commission to do the financial audit, to find out if there were violations in terms of government guidelines," Singson told Karen Davila in the ANC morning show, Headstart.

Excessive benefits

In 2009, MWSS was given P211.5 million budget for personal services costs, which ballooned from P160.1 million the previous year. Personal services costs include basic pay, salary and wages, mandatory benefits, and all other allowances.

In the same year, the payroll was only pegged at around P51.4 million, with roughly P4 million allotted for the monthly salary of employees. The remaining amount was earmarked for employee benefits and for the members of the Board of Trustees.

Since assuming the DPWH portfolio in June 30, Singson's team found out that aside from the increase in monthly pays, the MWSS Board of Trustees was given "excessive" benefits.

"I am not aware if there are other agencies or GOCCs (Government Owned and Controlled Corporations). Ang alam ko sa line agencies wala niyan kasi 13th month lang and cash gifts ang binibigay sa line agencies. Pero sa GOCCs, I am not aware if they have this number of excessive, this number of nomenclatures in terms of bonuses," Singson said.

Singson also reiterated that MWSS's charter classified it as an attached agency of DPWH but the corporation "has not been under supervision or oversight either from the Office of the President of from DPWH" recently.

"Kasi itong mga desisyon na ito, nangagaling sa Board of Trustees. They make the decisions on compensation. As far as I'm concern, we just want to be fully transparent. Itong mga desisyon na ito na obviously were kept from the public eye," Singson added.

Further, the DPWH chief noted that the excessive benefits and salary would have to be brought back to the Board of Trustees and the MWSS administrator. Before he resumed chief of DPWH, Singson was administrator of MWSS.

'Looking into details'

For his part, Macra Cruz, MWSS Senior deputy administrator, said he is also "looking into details" on the sudden increase in personal services costs and the claims that retirees has not been fully compensated.

According to Cruz, employees' original benefits were carried over by the contract signed by the concessionaires. Privatized in 1997, MWSS was bought by 2 concessionaires: Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. But the administrative department remained with the government.

"Sa retirees, actually nagbayad na kami ng una sa kanila ng 15% noon pa. lipat ito sa 2 concessionaires pero bigay na kami ng isang bayad," Cruz said.

He explained that MWSS already paid 40% of its retirees and they only have a balance of P300 million to P400 million or 60% of the overall compensation.

In a recent meeting, Cruz said MWSS plans to pay the compensation in 2 to 3 years. If MWSS has additional savings before Christmas, they will also pay the retirees. At the moment, Cruz added that MWSS is trying to lessen the personal services costs.

"Una ko masasabi ay napunta sa mga tao ang mga benipisyo na iyan," Cruz reiterated.

Not Claudio's fault

Singson, however, clarified that MWSS chair Rogelio Claudio was not the person to blame for the excessive benefits enjoyed by employees and executives.

"Let me clarify, Gabby Claudio came in just 3 months ago, and he had nothing to do with the approvals of these excessive bonuses," he said.

"When I talked to him, he tried to stop some of these bonuses. Excessive, anything more than 15, 16, 17 months, I think is excessive considering that the agency still has to pay some of its former employees who are claiming their benefits when they were separated from MWSS," Singson added.

Aside from the sudden increase in employees' salary and benefits, Singson said they will also look into the alleged mansions owned by MWSS executives in the La Mesa Watershed, which President Aquino mentioned in his SONA.

"Ako, just as I said, I think we just have to look into the propriety of doing these things," he concluded. - With ANC and Radyo DZMM