Lawmaker: Salary standardization law should cover GOCCs (5:17 p.m.)

MANILA -- A party-list lawmaker wants the salary standardization law (SSL) to be applied to all government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) to help check the wasteful spending of the government.

Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño said the SSL III being applied to GOCCs is needed to effectively put a cap on the fat bonuses and other perks of GOCC officials.

“The SSL was upgraded recently in the 14th Congress and should be imposed on all GOCCs to correct the anomalous situation wherein a few officials become millionaires by milking state funds and assets,” Casiño said in a press statement.

The record by the Commission on Audit (COA) showing 552 millionaires in various GOCCs an government agencies should be corrected, Casiño said, to help in reducing the budget deficit.

Casiño believes that if GOCCs are included in the SSL, government would save millions and could devote more funds to health, education and housing services. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)