Aquino hits MWSS board members' hefty bonuses

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III said he discovered several anomalies in the funds of regulator Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), including the hefty bonuses of its top officials.

In his state of the nation address or SONA, Aquino said that in 2009, the MWSS payroll totaled P51.4 million pesos, plus additional allowances and benefits amounting to P160.1 million or a total of P211.5 million.

Aquino said that 76% of MWSS' payroll are additional allowances and benefits, of which only 24% are standard salaries.

Bonuses and allowances, he said, were equivalent to up to 30 months of salaries.

He said the agency's board of trustees also get hefty allowances and bonuses.

"Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta'y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon. Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at financial assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may additional christmas package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta'y otso mil."

Aquino said each MWSS board member got P2.5 million annually in bonues.

"Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa't kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees."

Aquino said even the La Mesa Watershed was not spared.

"Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan. Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS."

He said that these people could not be removed from their posts immediately because many of them were midnight appointees of former President Gloria Arroyo.

"Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira - sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto."