Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday, July 17 vowed to scrutinize the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) plan to rightsize the bureaucracy once the Senate has received the proposal in the next few weeks.
Pimentel, who is expected to be the next Senate minority leader, noted senators have yet to know the “overall” plan of the Marcos administration.
Nonetheless, if it pushes through, Pimentel said they will push for a reasonable separation packages for government officials who will inevitably lose their jobs in the process.
“Hintayin natin (Let us wait), because…hindi pa natin alam (because we still don’t know) what is their overall plan,” Pimentel said in an interview on Radio DZBB.
“Ngayon, kaming nasa minority ang iisipin namin, sa hirap ng panahon ngayon, iisipin din natin yung mga mahihiwalay sa government service, yung mawawalan ng trabaho (Now, we in the minority, will think about, because these are trying times, we will consider the plight of those who will be forced to leave the government service, those who will lose their jobs),” Pimentel stressed.
“Iisipin din natin sila kasi mahirap ang panahon ngayon. Because I’m sure may mga mate-terminate dyan mga nasa 40s, 50s na. Pano mo sasabihin yung mga yun to (We need to think about them because the times are hard. Because I’m sure many if them would be terminated who are already in their 40s and 50s. How can you tell them to) restart their career?” he pointed out.
“Wala na yun, mahirapan na yan. So dapat if ever meron mahihiwalay (They can no longer find another work. So should they be let go) because of this proposal of the Marcos administration, dapat yung (their) separation package nito ay (should be) reasonable, para hindi naman magiging kawawa yung mahihiwalay sa government service (so those who will be separated from government service won’t have a hard time),” he stressed.
At least two million jobs stand to be affected with the DBM’s announcement, which some senators said they are supporting since the government stands to save an annual P14.8-billion in government expenditure.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the Marcos administration will soon determine which of the 187 government agencies will need restructuring or abolition.