Diokno, Calida highest paid government officials in 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno and Solicitor General Jose Calida were the highest paid government officials last year, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported yesterday.

Based on COA’s “2020 report on salaries and allowances” of government officials, Calida’s slightly lower net pay of P15.66 million from P16.95 million in 2019 was still enough to keep him in second place on the list.

From third spot in 2019, Diokno rose to first with a net pay of P19.79 million from P15.45 million.

The highest paid official in 2019, United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) board member Higinio Macadaeg Jr., slipped to ninth spot in 2020, with a net pay of P13.22
million from P20.48.

Macadaeg resigned as UCPB president and chief executive officer in July 2019, citing “personal reasons.”

Third in the list was UCPB executive vice president and group head Eulogio Catabran III with net pay of P15.46 million from P15.10 million or fourth spot in 2019.

A total of 8,737 officials from 994 national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges and water districts were included in COA’s 2020 report on salaries and allowances.

The net pay includes basic salaries, allowances and other emoluments received by each official.

Excluded in the COA report were elected government officials such as the President, senators and congressmen.

Government Service Insurance System president and general manager Rolando Macasaet landed fourth with a total of P15.26 million from P7.97 million in 2019, wherein he was 51st on the list.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe received higher pay last year amounting to P15.203 million, which landed her in fifth from P10.22 million or 16th spot in the previous year.

Aside from Bernabe, five other SC magistrates landed in the top 20 of the COA list, including former chief justice Diosdado Peralta with a net pay of P14.53 million (seventh spot) from P10.37 million (13th spot) in 2019.

Peralta retired in March.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen was in 15th place with a net pay of P10.68 million from P9.20 million (28th spot) in 2019.

Leonen was followed by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa in 16th spot with P10.49 million from P8.11 million (46th spot).

Former associate justice Alexander Gesmundo was in 17th spot with a net pay of P10.46 million from P8.39 million (44th spot) in 2019. He was appointed chief justice last month.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando ranked 18th with a net pay of P10.16 million from P8.68 million (39th spot).

Like in previous years, the BSP dominated the COA list, with eight of its officials including Diokno landing in the top 20.

Other BSP officials who made it to the list were deputy governor for resource management sector Maria Almasara Cyd Tuaño-Amador in sixth place with total pay of P15.15 million from P14.60 million (fifth spot) in 2019; deputy governor for financial supervision sector Chuchi Fonacier was in eighth spot with net pay of P14.35 million from P14.60 million (sixth spot). Senior assistant governors Dahlia Luna and Ma. Ramona Gertrudes Santiago and deputy governor Francisco Dakila Jr. were in 10th, 11th and 12th spots, with net pays of P12.63 million, P12.53 million and P11.64 million, respectively.

BSP monetary board members Peter Favila and Felipe Medalla ranked 19th and 20th with net pays of P10.12 million and P10.10 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Herbosa rose to 13th spot with a net pay of P11.46 million from P10.159 million (18th) in 2019.

Herbosa was the only official of the state lending bank who made it to the top 20, unlike in the previous year when he was joined by two other officials.