PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has vetoed the proposed measure seeking to strengthen the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) to improve the legal services of government corporations to efficiently address their expanding needs.
In a letter addressed to the House of Representatives and the Senate, Marcos said Senate Bill 2490 and House Bill 9088 entitled an Act Strengthening the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) By Rationalizing and Further Professionalizing Its Organization, Upgrading Positions and Appropriating Funds Therefor was “laudable” while he also finds many of its provisions “overbearing.”
Marcos specified the excessive grant of remuneration, incentives, benefits, allowances, and honoraria that violates the principles of equity and standardization; the increase in the Salary Grade of the Government Corporate Counsel from 30 to 31, effectively on the same level as that of the Secretary of Justice, which would distort the supervisor-subordinate relationship between the said officials and the grant of Attorney's Fees and Special Assessments that are not similarly given to other lawyers of different Executive agencies, which were among the provisions of the measure.
He also cited the control and supervision over the legal departments of all government corporations, which may be prone to an unbridled abuse of authority as well as the trust fund in the name of the OGCC, which is against the principle of the government's one-fund policy.
“Having examined the Bill in its entirety and considering the strong opposition of the Cabinet economic managers due to the inequity in compensation and substantial fiscal risks it may bring to the country, I am not persuaded,” said Marcos.
“In view of these considerations, I am constrained to veto the above-mentioned Enrolled Bill,” he added.
The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill in June 2021 while the Senate in May 2022. (SunStar Philippines)