Bribery, Pay-offs and the GMA Bonus

Sometime this year, the government, through the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, which are both headed by women who are not on talking terms, issued strong statements in reaction to a banner story of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that big time corruption is on the rise.

After the denials, the Senate of the Philippines conducted hearings, in aid of legislation, regarding the multi-million dollar ZTE project that was supposed to be implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communications, in partnership with a Chinese firm. The investigations turned nasty. At one point, a Senator asked one of those investigated, the Chairman of the Commission on Elections, if the content of a “text” message was true. The message alleged that the person under investigation is the father of the child of a young woman, who is not his wife. There were other twists and turns that marred the investigations. Eventually, the Chairman of the Commission on Elections resigned.

The ZTE investigations were followed by another scandal that rocked the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration. This involved the giving of cash gifts ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 pesos to selected elected officials, such as the provincial governors, who attended a meeting with the President in Malacanang Palace. Non-governmental sectors of society scorned the distribution of money. They said the President used public funds to thank her supporters for killing the impeachment complaint filed against her in the House of Representatives.

No law has been drafted as a result of the ZTE investigations. Nobody is sent to jail after the investigations of the alleged pay-off in the Palace.

A few days ago, after plucking the rebels out of the Manila Peninsula, Malacanang announced the release of the ten thousand pesos bonus for each employee of the government. Seventy percent of this amount will come from the Department of Budget of Management. The remaining amount will be taken from the savings of the respective government organizations. The President directed the Department of Budget and Management to formulate the implementing rules and regulations of the order.

The bonus translates to 833 pesos per month. That is an average of 28 pesos per day, more or less. 


Assuming that the average take-home pay of each government employee in Metro Manila is 15,000 pesos per month, each employee should have received a total of 205,000 pesos by end of 2007. That is inclusive of the 13th month pay and the announced “GMA” bonus.

Divided by 12 months, the 205,000 pesos is 17,083 per month or about 570 pesos per day. If an average government employee has six members in his or her family, and assuming that s/he is the sole bread winner in the family, each member of the family has a budget of 114 pesos daily.

Each member of the family approximately pays 40 pesos per day for water and electric bills. Meanwhile, a minimum of 30 pesos is the per capita budget for food. This is based on the assumption that everyone eats food that is cooked in each household. If the family is renting a room at 2,500 per month, each member of the family pays 14 pesos per day.

After deducting the daily per capita expenses for utilities, food and rent, each family has an excess of 30 pesos, more or less, or five pesos per person. If the bread winner of the family goes to work using public transport, s/he spends a minimum of 15 pesos per day. If at least one child goes to school using public transport, s/he spends 15 pesos per day. 


Assuming that the bread winner and the school child do not leave the house during weekends, the family saves about 240 pesos every month or about eight pesos every day. The savings will then be used to buy soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and perfume, among others, subject to the availability of the saved amount.

Have you wondered why government is prone to corruption? Are you now beginning to see why small bonuses given to hundreds of thousands of government employees are not perceived at all as a form of pay-off in the same manner that the alleged bribery in Malacanang is treated in media? Did you know that any amount saved in government organizations means the non-delivery of a form of public service? Did you know that government organizations, in general, deliberately set aside an amount for savings that can be used as counterpart fund in response, for instance, to a mandatory “GMA” bonus.

It is high time for government to improve the salary structure of its officials and employees. This is not the cure to corruption, for sure. This is just a step forward. This can raise their morale and reduce their indebtedness. This can also encourage competent men and women outside government service to take a career as a public servant.

Let this call be, at the very least, one of the immediate outcomes of the investigations initiated by the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines and the Executive Department.