CoA tag unfair and misleading-Arreza

After being tagged as the government official who took home the fattest paycheck in 2009, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator said the report of the Commission on Audit (COA) was
“unfair and misleading.”

The CoA report placed Arreza on top of the list, allegedly earningsome P26.865 million in take home pay last year.

“Dapat basic at take home lang ang nilagay kung sahod angpagbabasehan,” Arreza said.

Speaking before reporters in Subic, he said that he has not even seenthe report of the COA.
He told Subictimes.com that he only receives P130,888.77 in gross payand takes home P95,449.00 plus another P8,700 for representations.

(SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza show his July 2010 pay slip amounting to P95,449.00. to www.subictimes.com. Photo by Anthony Bayarong)

He also insisted that the extra ordinary expense does not go directly to him.

“(It is) unfair because the extra ordinary and miscellaneous expenses which are about P18 to P19 million does not directly go to me, it only goes through my office and then gets disbursed. Kasama dyan yung mga promotional expenses, sponsorships, ads sa ibat-ibang pahayagan andSBMA events like last year yung Ad congress and SK congress.” Arreza said.

Arreza joikingly noted that even the snacks served during the press conference was charged to his office’s extra ordinary and miscellaneous expenses.

The others, he explained, are given as intelligence fund of the Task Force Subic which amounts to P10 million. Another P5 million he added was shared between himself and SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga and was used by the SBMA Law Enforcement Department.

Arreza’s pay is still higher than of the president which is around P63,000.00. In a year Arreza would earn P1.5 million in gross pay while his net pay would amount to P1.1 million.

P10M to TFS

Edmund Arugay, Head of Task Force Subic (TFS) under the Presidential Anti Smuggling Group, confirmed to Subictimes that they get P10 million from SBMA as part of their intelligence fund for their
anti-smuggling campaign in Subic.

President Aquino has publicly announced that he will abolish PASG which includes Task Force Subic.
With this, Arreza said that he would be recalling SBMA personnel detailed to TFS.

CoA’s top 10 list

On the list of COA Arreza took the top spot with P26.865 million; 2. Ricafort, Benigno (CDC) —14,506,466.74; 3. Garcia, Edgardo F. (DBP) — 12,718,942.61; 4.
Tetangco, Amando Jr. (BSP) — 10,772,830.14; 5. Bitonio, Benedicto Ernesto Jr. R. (DBP) — 9,309,042.75; 6. Geronimo, Rolando (DBP) — 9,080,633.12; 7. Abaya, Narciso L. (BCDA) — 7,654,597.14; 8. Templo,
Horacio T. (SSS) — 7,073,488.92; 9. Samia, Armando O. (DBP) — 6,983,533.14 10. Quirino, Ma. Therese (DBP) — 6,753,136.41.

Until 2011

Arreza said that his appointment as SBMA Administrator would end in September 2011, but would follow the decision of President Aquino if he decides to appoint a new one.

“I will follow if he decides to let me go, no questioned asked,” Arreza said.

Local buzz puts businessman Mike Macapagal and former Bataan Governor Ding Roman as the leading contenders to replace Arreza.