Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has sought the help of the Department of Budget and Management and the Commission on Audit in the creation of a technical working group to draft the guidelines for the release of funds meant to augment the salaries and overtime pay of Bureau of Immigration employees.
Aguirre said he signed a letter on March 1 addressed to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and CoA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo who were invited to form the TWG by March 13.
“The guidelines to be drafted by the TWG will pave the way for the release of the funds,” Aguirre said.
He said the creation of the TWG was in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto message on the fund allocation in the 2018 General Appropriations Act.
“I will allow the establishment of a trust fund to be constituted from the express lane fees and charges collected by the BI for the payment of salaries and overtime to employees of the BI … subject to such guidelines as the Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of Budget and Management, and the Commission on Audit may promulgate,” the President said in his veto message.
Aguirre asked BI employees to be more patient as the government resolves outstanding issues on their salary hike.