Villar files bill providing for a Magna Carta for government accountants

Sen. Manuel Villar filed Senate Bill (S.B.) 763, an act providing for a "Magna Carta for Government Accountants."

Villar, president of the Nacionalista Party, refers to government employees who perform accounting functions as "protector and vanguard of financial and material resources of the government." Thus, S.B. 763 seeks to improve and promote their social and economic status, living and working conditions, terms of employment, professional growth and career advancement.

Villar, certified public accountant (CPA), himself, will be the guest speaker today at 12 noon at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City, during the Accountancy Week celebration of the Philippine Institute of CPAs (PICPA) sponsored by the Government Association of CPAs (GACPA).

Villar, who has been awarded "Most Outstanding CPA" by PICPA, will highlight the important role of accountants in the society especially in recent times when the public demands for "accountability and responsibility" among private individuals as well as public servants.

"We are financial managers here. We know that any entry on our financial ledgers tell a story. It is about time that we ensure our national ledgers tell the story of this great nation called the Philippines, the home of accountable and responsible citizens," Villar said.

Among the salient points of Villar’s proposed "Magna Carta for Government Accountants" is the exemption of government accountants from Section 12 of Republic Act (R.A.) 6758 or the "Compensation and Position Classification Act" by providing them additional compensation and incentives such as subsistence allowance, longevity pay and compensation of injuries.

S.B. 763 also recognizes and protects the following rights of government accountants; right to self-organization; right to attend periodic workshops, dialogues, conferences, seminars and convention; freedom from interference and coercion; right to security of tenure; right to due process, among others. Upon passing of the bill, government CPAs will be granted an automatic five percent increase in basic salary.