Sonny Coloma

By Rey O. Arcilla
Malaya

‘The members of the Malacañang Press Corps are quite happy that Herminio “Sonny” Coloma has been tasked by Noynoy himself to be the chief presidential mouthpiece.’

Sonny Coloma

LAST July, I wrote:

“Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is due to receive a raise of 5 percent in her government grant next year.

“Here, one fellow who does not need a raise in his remuneration next year is GSIS president/general manager Robert Vergara who turned out to be the highest paid government functionary in our midst, including President Noynoy Aquino himself.

“As reported recently by Rappler, according to the Commission on Audit (COA) Vergara last year received P16.36 million in salaries and allowances (almost double the P8.32 million he received in 2011) broken down as follows:
P9.65 million in basic salaries for 15 months; P4.97 million in ‘bonuses, incentives and benefits’; P1.684 million allowances; P7,500 personal economic relief allowance (he needs this?!), and P51,000 listed only as ‘Others’.

“As a former member of the GSIS, I find that amount obscene and unconscionable. I wonder if Vergara knows how much the average government employee is paid.

“I understand this fellow was a hotshot investment banker based in Hong Kong before he was tapped for the GSIS job by President Noynoy Aquino. Could he possibly be making more money now than he used to?

(Or is he simply trying to make as much money, if not more, while in government service? If that is his main purpose, he should have stayed in the private sector. That way he wouldn’t be fleecing poor government employees of what is due them in terms of earnings from their contribution.)

“This is also the same fellow who finds it convenient to simply “dedma” (ignore) another finding by COA that has been raised, and continues to be raised, in this space regarding the irregular treatment of remittances of premiums paid by poor government employees. (Please see one of the “Reminders” below.)

“Please take note, Mr. President. Your bosses want to know what the real score is on this fellow’s horrendous pay. As a GSIS member yourself, perhaps you should be interested to find out too.”

Last week, it was reported that members of the GSIS Board of Trustees received in 2012 P1.25 million (some say P1.4 million) bonus each, including Vergara who is known as “Pretty Boy”, derisively I’m told, among GSIS staffers.

But, alas, someone pointed out that Pretty Boy is also in the PhilHealth board of directors whose members, allegedly, also received about P1 million bonus each.

I checked the PhilHealth website and true enough, Vergara is listed, as of last week, as one of its directors together with the following: Health Secretary Enrique Ona as chairman, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman, DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz (an SSS board member too), Civil Service head Francisco Duque, Alexander Padilla, Juan Flavier, Alexander Ayco, Francisco Lopez, SSS president Emilio De Quiros, Jane Sta. Ana and Marlon Manuel.

Question is did cabinet secretaries Ona, Soliman, Roxas and Baldoz get bonuses as well? (I assume the rest did.) Isn’t there a law that prohibits that?

***

Earlier this month, it was reported that aside from the GSIS and the SSS, 18 other government-controlled and –owned corporations (GOCCs) also granted fat bonuses to their directors, all courtesy of the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).

The GCG, created under Republic Act 10149, was supposed to put a stop to the multimillion-peso bonuses and extravagant benefits top executives and board members of GOCCs gave themselves during the Arroyo regime. It has the power to review and reorganize the corporations, as well as fix the salaries, allowances, per diems and bonuses of board members.

Unfortunately, it has been doing the exact opposite of its mandate. Its spokesman issued a moronic justification of its decisions to the effect that GOCCs directors should receive compensation at par with the private sector. The problem is the bonuses and other perks granted to these directors far exceed those received by directors in the private sector and with much less work and responsibility.

Has it not occurred to these conscienceless individuals that the average stakeholder in the GSIS, SSS and PhilHealth does not earn, on the average, in five to seven long years what they get in yearly bonuses alone?! Geeez, may puso at kaluluwa kaya ang mga nilalang na ito?!

Does not the useless GCG realize that? Incidentally, the GCG commissioners should also make public what they get in per diems, bonuses and other perks.

***

The members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) are quite happy that Herminio “Sonny” Coloma has been tasked by Noynoy himself to be the chief presidential mouthpiece.

I can appreciate the sentiments of the MPC members. The few times that I’ve seen Coloma briefing them, he was not only articulate but also direct to the point. You could see that he also knows whereof he speaks. He does not obfuscate, unlike his three other colleagues (Edwin Lacierda, his deputy Abigail Valte and Ricky Carandang) who more often than not do not realize the implications or inaccuracies of what they are saying.

I do not even have to extend best wishes to Coloma. I know he will do well, better at least than his predecessor.

***

About four or five months ago, I wrote about Foreign Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario having been reportedly instructed by Nonoy to get rid of future DFA ex-undersecretary for administration Rafael Seguis. But instead of booting out Seguis as instructed, Del Rosario offered him, reportedly for one year, his old post as undersecretary for Special Concerns now being held by former ambassador Chito Brillantes who, as it turned out, never wanted to give up the job in the first place. In any case, Seguis reportedly turned down Del Rosario’s offer and opted to retire.

In the meantime, Del Rosario submitted to Malacañang his recommendation for former ambassador Linglingay Lacanlale as replacement for Seguis.

However, for reasons known only to him, Seguis later changed his mind and accepted Del Rosario’s offer. He had the recommendation for Lacanlale retrieved from Malacañang. He then prepared another memorandum, which Del Rosario signed, recommending him as undersecretary for Special Concerns not for one year but co-terminus with the President, and Lacanlale to replace him as undersecretary for administration.

The memorandum is now reportedly sitting in the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa who allegedly does not want to submit it for Noynoy’s signature, presumably on account of representations made by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, on behalf of his brother Chito, whom Seguis would be displacing.

So now, the status quo remains, to the consternation and dismay of DFA staffers, not to mention the disgust and disappointment of Lacanlale and Brillantes.

DFA insiders think that allowing the status quo to persist weakens Del Rosario’s leadership and the confidence of DFA personnel in his ability to run the Department. They also feel that the only thing he could do now is to take the matter up directly with Noynoy. I am told Ochoa won’t even give him the time of day.

Who will Noynoy sustain, Del Rosario or Comelec chair Brillantes? Let’s watch what happens.

***

France and Germany are up in arms against the US for allegedly spying on them.

Germany claims that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone might have been monitored. France says the US National Security Agency intercepted more than 70 million phone calls in France over a 30-day period.

Even before the latest French and German allegations, CNN said that other nations had expressed concerns about alleged US spying after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified information about American surveillance programs.

I have written about this matter in my column and I wondered what our government was doing after Snowden made his revelations. I am still wondering.

In the meantime, “Amboy” del Rosario had already welcomed the appointment of the new US ambassador-designate to the Philippines, Philip Goldberg, even before the latter has been confirmed by the US Senate.

Goldberg is a confirmed intelligence expert who now heads the Intelligence bureau of the US State Department and who was once ambassador to Bolivia. He was kicked out of that country for allegedly spying on the Bolivian government.

Del Rosario’s comment about Goldberg’s appointment seems premature. Are we not supposed to vet his credentials and background first before giving him his agreement? Are we not at all wary of his known background?

For once, let us show some independence when it comes to dealing with the US. Even loyal canines sometimes do – disobey or defy their masters, I mean.

But I guess that would be too much to expect of Del Rosario who is/was allegedly an American citizen or a green card holder at least. Having lived and studied from the elementary grades to college level in the US, the man does not even understand or speak Pilipino. How embarrassing!

Question is what does that make of Noynoy who appointed Del Rosario? An Amboy too? It certainly looks like it at times. I hope I’m wrong.

***

Reminders (for Noynoy):

1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency.

2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia and ordering his successor, Robert Vergara, to file the proper charges, if warranted, against the former.

Noynoy should also order Vergara to report to him on COA’s findings that:

(a) He received the obscenely excessive compensation of P16.36 million last year making him the highest paid government servant and;

(b) That, as of four or five months ago, at least P4.13 billion in contributions and loan payments made by 12 government offices to the GSIS had not been credited to the offices as of Dec. 31, 2011.

COA also said the amount of unrecorded remittances could go much higher because only 36 agencies have so far responded out of the 186 that were sent confirmation requests by government auditors. Of the 36, 27 confirmed “discrepancies” in their premium and loan payments ledgers when compared with those of the GSIS.

There are three questions being raised when remittances, or parts thereof, of government agencies are not recorded by the GSIS on time: a) Where are these huge sums “parked” in the meantime?; b) Do they earn interest?; and c) To where (whom?) does the interest, if any, go?

3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments.

4) Expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos.

Today is the 184th day of the seventh year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

The Justice Department has dismissed the charges against several of those accused in Jonas’ disappearance. Cleared were former AFP chiefs of staff Hermogenes Esperon and Alexander Yano, ex-PNP chief Avelino Razon, retired Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Ano and Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano. Only Maj. Harry Baliaga will be charged for arbitrary detention, murder and obstruction of justice on the disappearance of Jonas.

“Pwedeng kasuhan ang kamay ng krimen pero ang utak ay hindi?” rued Lorena Santos, daughter of a desaparecido like Jonas.

Mr. President, is this what you meant when you called for a “focused, dedicated and exhaustive” probe of what really happened to Jonas?

***

From an internet friend:

One day, a man goes to a pet shop to buy a parrot. The assistant takes the man to the parrot section and asks the man to choose one. The man asks, ‘’How much is the yellow one?’’

The assistant says, ‘’$2000.’’ The man is shocked and asks the assistant why it’s so expensive. The assistant explains, ‘’This parrot is a very special one. He knows typing and can type really fast.’’

‘’What about the green one?’’ the man asks.

The assistant says, ‘’He costs $5000 because he knows typing and can answer incoming telephone calls and takes notes.’’

‘’What about the red one?’’ the man asks.

The assistant says, ‘’That one’s $10,000.’’

The man says, ‘’What does HE do?’’

The assistant says, ‘’I don’t know, but the other two call him boss.’’

***

Email: roacrosshairs@outlook.com
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