POEA's illegal perks are detrimental to OFWs

"Ultimately shameless."

Thus declared MIGRANTE Sectoral Party Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado on the revelation of P40 million in illegal incentives granted by officials of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to themselves.

"The current administration continues to siphon out OFW funds at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). After illegally transfering funds from OWWA to PhilHealth, Land Bank, Development Bank of the Philippines and the National Livelihood Support Fund, now comes the expose on the illegal transfer to the POEA. Like we have suspected all along, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's coterie of POEA officials have been living the high life. The painful thing for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is: these officials have heaped upon themselves so many unnecessary perks even from our own funds at the OWWA," Bragas-Regalado said.

The Commission on Audit (COA) yesterday slammed the POEA for illegally granting about P40 million in incentives and allowances to its officials for the past three years.

What incensed Migrante was the recent COA report that showed that the POEA withdrew P24.048 million from the funds of the OWWA to grant an "incentive allowance" to agency's high bureaucrats. The COA has said that such use of OWWA funds is unauthorized.

"POEA executives were then issued mobile phones and they downloaded about P796,000 worth of games, tones, picture messages and other unauthorized items. The POEA incurred other charges amounting to P308,747.58 in the use of the mobile phones, in addition to the fixed charges of P400,002.80 due to subscription to Globe lines or plans. Other charges which are personal and which are easily incurred and billed due to the nature of line subscription, include share-a-load and its processing fee, GPRS such as Globe games, photo messages, polyphonic ringtones, digital postcards, photo album, cinema and magazine covers, premium java download, instant messaging and catxtcism, etc., All these did not in any way help OFWs. It is clear wastage of meager resources and OFW funds. They have the gall to do this because Pres. Arroyo dispenses perks in this way too," Bragas-Regalado said.

"It is revolting to note that even the OWWA Board of Trustees justified the illegal incentive allowance by citing the increase in OWWA collections from OFWs. The US$25 contribution from each OFW should only be devoted to welfare programs to OFWs and their dependents. The incentives and perks of government officials and employees must come from the national budget, not from OFW contributions at the OWWA. We encourage rank and file employees of the POEA to question the agency's high officials on their illegal deeds," Bragas-Regalado added.

Migrante also called for an immediate Congressional inquiry into the matter.

"High officials of the POEA must immediately by investigated by Congress and prosecuted," Bragas-Regalado concluded. #