The Senate, voting 21-0, approved on third and final reading Monday a new charter of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel seen to strengthen the OGCC by rationalizing its personnel’s compensation framework.
Sponsored by Senator Richard Gordon, Senate Bill 2490 embodied the enabling legislation “professionalizing its organization, upgrading positions and appropriating funds therefor.”
Upon its enactment into law, the OGCC is mandated to be the statutory counsel and principal law office of all government corporations.
As passed, all government corporations shall refer to the OGCC all important legal opinion and advise, contracts for review; “and cases that need representation before regular courts, quasi-judicial bodies, administrative agencies and arbitral tribunals.
With the OGCC as statutory counsel, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) is seen to generate savings as government corporations will no longer need to hire private lawyers for their legal requirements.
As provided in the Gordon bill, OGCC officials and employees entrusted with the legal concerns of the the GOCCs “will now be properly equipped and adequately compensated under the OGCC charter.
As crafted, the new OGCC charter paves the way for upgrading positions, salaries and benefits of agency employees, putting it at par with their judiciary counterparts, the Office of the Solicitor General and the Court of Appeals.