MANILA, Philippines?An executive order that President Aquino is expected to issue this week will suspend for two months the granting of allowances and bonuses to officials and employees of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and of government financial institutions (GFIs), Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said Monday.

Abad said the suspension of the bonuses and perks would be done while Malacañang was studying how to rationalize the fat pay, allowances and other perks of top officials of GOCCS and GFIs.

?(The suspension of these perks) was in recognition of the Senate resolution passed unanimously and submitted to the President,? Abad said in a phone interview.

SSS, MWSS

The Senate last week passed a resolution seeking the suspension of perks for GOCCs and GFIs following hearings showing that their officials were enjoying very generous benefits.

The Senate has been looking into the compensation and bonuses that officials of GOCCS and GFIs have been enjoying, particularly those from the Social Security System (SSS) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

The disclosure of the officials? bonuses and perks came at a time when the government is facing a growing budget deficit.

Abad said he was assured that the draft executive order, submitted to Malacañang on Sept. 3, would be issued this week.

He said the order would cover GOCC and GFI personnel, particularly those not covered by the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

Seventy-eight GOCCs and GFIs are not covered by the law, according to the budget secretary. There are about 480 GOCCs and GFIs if electric cooperatives are included, Abad said.

Interagency committee

Abad said the executive order would create an interagency committee to conduct a study and would propose a legislation to address rationalization.

He said it would be challenging to go about the study considering that most of GOCCs and GFIs were covered by special charters. Thus, ?they were authorized to structure their own compensation and as a result, insist they are not covered by the directive,? Abad said.

Ombudsman probe

The Office of the Ombudsman itself has formed its own panel to study the salaries, benefits and bonuses that officials of GOCCs and GFIs have been getting, Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus announced Monday.

De Jesus said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez had ordered the investigation as part of her mandate to recommend measures to minimize or prevent graft and corruption.

He said that if warranted, the Ombudsman could either recommend measures to prevent the misuse of public funds or file cases of violation of the anti-graft law in connection with the granting of excessive bonuses and other perks.

?These are public funds that we should really look into,? De Jesus said.