Glaring salary distortions in government
How could the DOLE and the NLRC be too harsh on companies with salary distortions when the biggest distortions are in government itself?
How come that the President of the Philippines receives only an annual salary of P2.81 million in 2017 (raised to P2.89M by the Salary Standardization Law), while Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla got P14.92M in total compensation? How could this be possible and why does Congress allow such salary distortions? Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo received P13.5M for 2017. Vice President Leni Robredo received only P2.31M (adjusted to P2.58M). Only in the Philippines can such incongruity happen.
Wage distortions, according to Article 124 of the Labor Code, is a situation where the intentional quantitative differences in wage or salary rates between or among salary groups in an organization, is effectively obliterated, eliminated, or severely contracted. Such intentional quantitative differences is really intended to distinguish positions from among each other, based on the degree of importance, rank, seniority, or years of incumbency in the position, degree of responsibility, level of skills, length of experience, and other logical basis of differentiation. Is the Central Bank more difficult to lead than the 110 million comprising the whole nation?
Based on the principle of EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK, higher positions deserve higher pay. Thus, the government cannot explain why the salary of President Duterte is only 18.83 percent of the salary of Central Bank governor. How come such very high position as Head of the State of the entire nation receives only less than one-fourth of the compensation for Central Bank governor? That kind of monstrosity does not happen in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, or anywhere in ASEAN. That never happens anywhere in the world. Only in the Philippines do we tolerate this stupidity.
Imagine DBP CEO Cecilia Borromeo got P13.5M, Justice Presbitero Velasco got P9.59M, Central Bank Deputy Governor Wilhelmina Mañalac got P9.28M and Senior Assistant Governor Ma. Ramona Santiago P9.24M. Monetary Board member Felipe Medalla got P8.869M while Juan de Zuniga got P8.868M. Solicitor General Calida (the one who caused the ousting of Sereno) got a whopping P10.917M in one year's salary alone. And is this the same Calida from Davao who allegedly is being charged with doing security business with government agencies?
Until and unless the government explains these incongruous wage distortions, the people will never understand how a mere underling would receive millions in higher compensation than the big boss up there. Am I too naïve or is there a monstrous mystery that I simply am ignorant of? I think I smell a rat.
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