Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3) — Former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla was the highest paid government official in 2022, dethroning Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno who held the title in 2020 and 2021.
According to a Commission on Audit report on government salaries published Wednesday, Medalla received an income of ₱34.17 million in 2022.
In 2021, when he was still a member of the BSP Monetary Board, Medalla ranked third with ₱21.83 million, right behind fellow central bank board member Victor Tolentino, who made ₱23.29 million.
Medalla saw a pay hike of about ₱12.34 million from 2021 to 2022.
Meanwhile, Diokno had an income of ₱28.78 million last year, putting him in second place. The finance chief earned ₱19.79 million in 2020, which more than doubled to ₱41.81 million in 2021.
Diokno’s 2022 income went down by ₱13.03 million from his 2021 earnings.
Among the judiciary, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen overtook Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo as the top paid magistrate last year.
Ranked 15th in 2022, Leonen made ₱18.60 million. This was an increase of ₱7.88 million compared to his total salary and allowance of ₱10.72 million in 2021, when he was at 22nd place.
Gesmundo fell two spots from 15th in 2021 to 17th in 2022. However, his earnings between the two years actually increased from ₱13.21 million to ₱14.99 million.
Members of the central bank dominated the list’s top 10. Diokno was the only official not from the BSP.
TOP 10 HIGHEST PAID GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN 2022
1. Medalla – ₱34.17 million
2. Diokno – ₱28.78 million
3. BSP Monetary Board Member Anita Aquino – ₱26.36 million
4. BSP Monetary Board Member Victor Tolentino – ₱25.67 million
5. BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier – ₱25.15 million
6. Former BSP Monetary Board Member Peter Favila – ₱24.38 million
7. Former BSP Monetary Board Member Antonio Abacan – ₱24.06 million
8. BSP Senior Assistant Governor Elmore Capule – ₱22.47 million
9. BSP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila – ₱22.38 million
10. BSP Senior Assistant Governor Edna Villa – ₱20.9 million
In 2021, the top 10 highest paid officials all hailed from the BSP.
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