How much are taxpayers paying our politicians and government officials?

After the SONA, let’s reflect on how heavy the peoples' burden to fund the government is. Are taxpayers paying government officials and employees enough, or much more than enough? Are they paid beyond or below the levels of their competence and hard work? Let’s look at the total compensation packages of high-level elected and appointed officials.

We wonder how true is the common belief among people in government that public officials and personnel are overworked and underpaid. Is it completely opposite what the general public usually says that government people are overpaid and are inefficient, inept, and lazy?

I can venture an opinion because I worked for 20 years in government and another 20 in San Miguel Corp., Pepsi Cola, and Petron, while all the time teaching in Law schools at night for 40 years now. I can compare and make a hypothesis that private sectors are paid much, much more than those in government, but then, they also produce considerable output and concrete results.

Let’s start with the elected officials, based on official position, classification, and salary standards, the president with the highest salary grade of 33 gets P399,739 monthly, multiplied by 15 months (because they receive a one month midyear bonus in June and another one month yearend bonus), or an annual salary of P5,996,085 or almost P6 million a year as basic.

Because of multiple allowances and perks, that’s easily P12 million a year or P72 million for six years in office. The Central Bank governor gets double that and the presidents of big conglomerates, like SMC, Petron, Meralco, and PAL get triple that salary.

The vice president, senate president, speaker of the House and chief justice have salary grade 32 with P353,470 monthly or P5,302,050 annually. Double that if we add all allowances. The senators, congressmen, Supreme Court associate justice and chairmen of COA, Comelec, and Civil Service Commission have salary grade 31 and P295,191 monthly or P4,427,865 annually.

Again, double that because of too many allowances. The same salary packages and job grades are enjoyed by the ombudsman, Cabinet members, NEDA director generals, Court of Appeals presiding justice, and Sandiganbayan presiding justice, as well as presidential advisers and spokesman, Secretary of the Senate and the House, and president of UP.

Comelec, COA, and CSC commissioners and the associate justices of the Court of Appeals, as well as NLRC commissioners, governors, and city mayors of highly-urbanized cities have salary grade 30, same as undersecretaries, presidential assistants, solicitor general, Supreme Court administrator, and associate justice of the Court of Appeals. They get P196,206 monthly or P2,943,090 annually. Double that with their tremendous allowances. The vice governor and the vice mayor have salary grade 28 and get P153,658 monthly or P2,304,870 annually. Double that again because of their multiple allowances and perks.

Now, I ask all of you, taxpayers, are the services you are getting from government worth all the taxes you all pay every day, every month, every quarter and every year? The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.