DepEd says Briones actually makes the least among top 10 income earners in Cabinet

The Department of Education on Monday said that its chief, Secretary Leonor Briones, actually earns the least among the top 10 highest-paid Cabinet secretaries listed by the Commission on Audit.

COA's Report on Salaries and Allowances (ROSA), said that Briones earned P3.95 million last year and was therefore the second highest-paid Cabinet Secretary. 

This includes her basic salary of P2.378 million, allowances worth P613,872.23, discretionary funds of P477,616.63, bonuses and other benefits amounting to P415,872.25, and P24,000 in honoraria. She also had the prior year’s adjustment of P40,980.10.

The DepEd, however, said that Briones' income in 2018 only amounted to P3.3 million, excluding gasoline and other miscellaneous expenses incurred by her office.

“These expenses were considered as ‘allowance’ by DepEd’s accounting office and the Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditors, and therefore included as footnotes in the ROSA,” the agency said in a press statement.

The amounts were indeed named as allowances and were part of her overall income as DepEd secretary, along with her basic salary, honoraria, and bonuses.

"[G]iven her actual total earnings for 2018, the Education chief’s ranking in terms of salaries and allowance will be the lowest among the Top 10 listed in the publication," the department said.

The ROSA also showed that Briones would still earn P3.43 million if the miscellaneous expenses and adjustments reported under her name are excluded.

The ROSA lists the top 10 income earners in the Cabinet in 2018 as follows:

• Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña - P4.138 million
• Education Secretary Leonor Briones -  P3.95 million
• Health Secretary Francisco Duque III - P3.714 million
• Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III - P3.705 million
• Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi - P3.529 million
• Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade - P3.527 million
• Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea - P3.492 million
• Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III - P3.492 million
• Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol - P3.49 million
• Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez - P3.469 million

The DepEd said that Briones' salary was the same as those of the other members of the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte, citing the uniformity of salaries stated under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) and Executive Order No. 201, s. 2016.

The DepEd said adjustment in the total earnings, such as allowances, are based on the accounting of each agency the secretary leads.

“To correct misconceptions about the income of Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, there are two points that must be understood,” the agency said.

“First, the salaries and allowances of all Cabinet members are standard; second, the difference in the Cabinet members’ reported incomes is affected by the varying system of each agency’s accounting office,” it added.

Briones also serves in the Board of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Development Academy of the Philippines, Commission on Population, Biblical Seminary of the Philippines, and the Philippine Science High School System aside from her appointment in the DepEd.

Briones' salary became a talking point among social media users who objected to her response to a teacher who posted about having to use the school's restroom as an office.  — BM, GMA News