The net bonus which is P112,000 is P2,000 higher than the bonus given by former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last year. #Housebonus #AlanPeterCayetano

While House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has confirmed that employees at the House of Representatives were given more than P100,000 worth of bonuses but denied it was irregular.

“As far as the bonus is concerned, tinignan ko lang kung ano binigay last year,” said Cayetano.

“Last year nag-ruling ang BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) na kailangang i-tax so nineto lang namin so ang additonal lang is just P2,000,” Cayetano said in a press conference together with House leaders, including House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor, among others, in a restaurant in Taguig City.

Last week, a report citing unnamed sources stated that Cayetano gave House employees P150,000 in bonuses but with P38,000 deduction for taxes.

The net bonus which is P112,000 is P2,000 higher than the bonus given by former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last year.

Cayetano said the giving out of Christmas bonuses to House employees is nothing new and is being practiced even before he was Speaker.

“So hindi ko na kontrolado dahil wala naman ako sa Kongreso for the last 12 years. I was in the Senate so kung anong abutan kong bonus alangan namang iatras ko,” said Cayetano.

Further, Cayetano said the House employees are deserving of the bonuses.

“There is nothing anomalous about it. Actually ako nasaktan ako ng konti na sinabi pa dun na ‘yung iba daw, baka mabulsa ‘yung tax,” he said, referring to earlier reports.

Cayetano assured that the deductions will go to the BIR and will not be pocketed by anyone in Congress.

In further defending the move, the Speaker said he would rather give “above board” salaries, benefits and bonuses to government employees so they would not be tempted to steal government funds.

“I’d rather na ‘yung sweldo benefits at tsaka ‘yung insurance at bonus above board lahat. This will keep people from graft and corruption,” he said.

“I can only speak for Congress but through the SSL Congress can speak for the whole Philippines kung kaya lang natin gawin sa SSL (Salary Standardization Law) na ganun kalaki ang bonus sa lahat gagawin natin.”

Nevertheless, the Speaker said if the Commission on Audit (CoA) will find the bonuses irregular, the House of Representatives would be willing to adjust it.

“Kung sabihin ng COA hindi tama, we will make adjustments. Pero sa pagkakaalam namin as I have said, I did not invent this pero hindi ko naman pwedeng iatras ‘yun,” said Cayetano.

The CoA has repeatedly flagged excessive bonuses released to government officials and employees in its previous decisions.