SUBIC BAY Freeport -- Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator Armand Arreza said the Commission on Audit's (COA) report tagging him as the government official who took home the fattest paycheck in 2009 was "unfair and misleading."
rThe COA report placed Arreza on top of the list, allegedly earning some P26.865 million in take home pay last year.
"Dapat basic at take home lang ang nilagay kung sahod ang pagbabasehan (They should have only included the basic and take home pay if they're using salary as the basis)," Arreza said.
Speaking before reporters in Subic, he said he has not even seen the COA report.
He said he only receives P130,888.77 in gross pay and takes home P95,449 plus another P8,700 for representations.
He also insisted that the extraordinary expense does not go directly to him.
"(It is) unfair because the extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses that are about P18-P19 million does not directly go to me. It only goes through my office and then gets disbursed. Kasama dyan yung mga promotional expenses, sponsorships, ads sa ibat-ibang pahayagan and SBMA events like last year iyung Ad congress and SK congress," Arreza said.
Arreza jokingly noted that even the snacks served during the press conference were charged to his office's extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses.
The others, amounting to P10 million, are given as intelligence funds of the Task Force Subic, he explained.
Another P5 million, he added, was shared between himself and SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga and was used by the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.
Arreza's pay is still higher than that of President Benigno Aquino III which is around P63,000. In a year, Arreza would earn P1.5 million in gross pay while his net pay would amount to P1.1 million.
Edmund Arugay, Head of Task Force Subic (TFS) under the Presidential Anti Smuggling Group (PASG), confirmed that they get P10 million from SBMA as part of their intelligence fund for their anti-smuggling campaign in Subic.
President Aquino has publicly announced that he will abolish PASG, which includes TFS.
With this, Arreza said he would be recalling SBMA personnel detailed to TFS.
He also said that his appointment as SBMA administrator would end in September 2011, but he would follow the decision of President Aquino if he decides to appoint a new one.
"I will follow if he decides to let me go. No questions asked," Arreza said.
Reports have it that businessman Mike Macapagal and former Bataan Governor Ding Roman are being considered for Arreza's position. (Anthony Bayarong)