Dela Rosa commends Duterte admin's record-high collection from GOCCs

THE efficient performance of the Duterte administration compared to the past administration in collecting dues from government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) has surfaced during the Senate Briefing of the Development Budget Coordinating Committee on the Proposed 2022 National Expenditure Program.

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa pointed out in the Senate briefing last September 8 that the remittances collected from GOCCs in just four years under the Duterte administration were almost twice the total collections of the Aquino administration in its entire six-year term.

Dela Rosa highlighted the difference when he asked Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez: "In your presentation, the six years of (the) Aquino administration from 2010 to 2016, six years, ang collection was only PHP164 billion as compared to the Duterte administration, four years lang from 2016 to 2020, the GOCC remittances amounted to PHP317 (billion). So, almost nagdoble. May I know from you what were the measures instituted by this government that resulted to the increase of almost 100 percent in the collection from the GOCCs?"

?In his reply, Dominguez attributed the better collections under the Duterte administration to the very efficient monitoring of GOCCs by the "good corporate affairs group headed by Usec. Tionko and Assistant Secretary Cruz."

He was referring to Undersecretary Antonette C. Tionko and Assistant Secretary Soledad Emilia J. Cruz of the Corporate Affairs Group of the Department of Finance.

"They were very efficient in monitoring the performance of the GOCCs, helping them improve it, and being very diligent in collecting the 50% due to the government... So, it's a matter of diligence, it's a matter of persuasion," he told Dela Rosa.

The Mindanaoan Senator also asked Dominguez if the anti-graft and corruption drive of President Duterte "is working along this line."

Dominguez answered: "I would say there's better management and less leakage. I do not say there's graft and corruption but I would say there's less leakage there."