Corona got P22M in government pays

MANILA, Philippines—Chief Justice Renato Corona received a salary, allowances and other bonuses amounting to close to P22 million from 2002 to 2011, an employee of the Supreme Court disclosed on Tuesday.

Testifying before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, Araceli Bayuga, the chief judicial staff officer of the Supreme Court’s Cash, Collections and Disbursement Division, said Corona’s salary plus allowances and other benefits from 2002 to 2011 amounted to a total of P21,636,781.45.

Bayuga, reading a document, cited the salaries that the Chief Justice received for the following years:

• 2002: P353,000.45
• 2003: P485,000.10
• 2004: P485,000.10
• 2005: P485,000.10
• 2006: P485,000.10
• 2007: P508,248.72
• 2008: P627,750.20
• 2009: P665, 652.90
• 2010: P650, 447.23
• 2011: P1,147,301.77

Corona’s total salary for the past 10 years, Bayuga said, amounted to P5,872.859.82.

But Cuevas pointed to another document which showed a total amount of P21, 636, 781.45.

Asked by Cuevas the source of the figures, Bayuga cited the salary, allowances and other benefits received by the Chief Justice.

Among the allowances and benefits were longevity pay , PERA, representation allowance, transportation allowance, extra ordinary miscellaneous allowance, monthly special allowance, additional cost of living allowance, productivity incentive benefit, clothing allowance, year-end bonus and cash gift loyalty, cash awards, and extra ordinary miscellaneous from Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

Bayuga also cited an emergency economic assistance, anniversary bonus, Christmas cash gifts, additional cash gifts, rice allowance, groceries , among others.

Asked by Cuevas how she got the total amount of P21.6 million, Bayuga said, “I reviewed and evaluated all the paid payrolls pertaining to salaries, allowances and other benefits received by the honorable Chief Justice from 2002 to 2011.”