Bicam approves bill strengthening OSG sans PCGG, OGCC abolition

The bicameral conference committee approved Monday the bill expanding the powers and capabilities of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) without the abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.

“We approved the bicam report on the new OSG law. We didn’t approve the dissolution of PCGG and OGCC, so they will remain. and we have made provisions on the powers, as well as benefits of the Solicitor General,” Senator Richard Gordon said after the bicam meeting.

He said that under the proposed law, the Solicitor General may be appointed beyond 65 years old, especially if he is appointed to the Cabinet.

“Not really that contentious but very, very forward-looking bicam, matter of age of retirement on the part of the OSG because, for example, Sec. Calida is appointed, he will continue on, he would not be eliminated, he will not be forced to resign, because it is a Cabinet rank,” he said.

The bill states the Solicitor General “shall have a Cabinet rank and the same qualifications for appointment, rank, category, prerogatives, salary grade and salaries, allowances, emoluments, privileges, retirement and all other benefits as the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals.”

Gordon said the bill aims to equalize the benefits given to the Office of the Ombudsman and the judiciary to those with the OSG.

Under the bill, when a Solicitor General, Assistant Solicitor General, Senior State Solicitor, State Solicitor II or a State Solicitor I who has rendered at least 15 years of service in the OSG or in any other branch of the government, or in both, (a) retires for having attained the age of 65 years, or (b) resigns due to incapacity to discharge the duties of his or her office as certified by the Solicitor General, he or she shall receive, during the residue of his or her natural life, a retirement pension based on the highest monthly salary, plus the highest monthly aggregate of transportation, living and representation allowances, which he or she was receiving at the time of his or her retirement or resignation.

He said PCGG was not abolished because it was able to do its job, which is running after ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

“The PCGG collected over P171 billion and it is increased during the several years. The PCGG target by 2020 is another P40 billion,” he said.

He added that they do not want to give additional burden to the OSG lawyers.

At present, the ratio of pending cases per OSG lawyer is at 1,415 total active cases per lawyer.

After the bicam approval, the proposed measure will be sent to the Senate and the House of Representatives for ratification and will be submitted to Malacañang for the signature of the President. — RSJ, GMA News