1 
Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
UPGRADING AND CREATING ADDITIONAL POSITIONS IN THE OFFICE 
OF THE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 878 DATED 4 MARCH 1983, AS 
AMENDED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 299 DATED 26 JULY 1987 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This Bill reintroduces the previously vetoed bill of the Office of the 
Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), subject to certain revisions to 
address the Veto Message dated 22 July 2022 of His Excellency President 
Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. 
Even as the President may have vetoed the OGCC bill passed during 
the Eighteenth Congress, he particularly recognizes the need to strengthen 
the OGCC given the growth in the number of government corporations in the 
recent years coupled with the complexity of their requirements brought on 
by current business conditions. The additional complement of lawyers and 
the upgrading of existing positions in the OGCC are necessary to strengthen 
its organizational structure, improve the service that it provides, and accord 
its men and women the privileges and benefits presently enjoyed by their 
counterparts in the Judiciary and the Justice Sector which includes the 
National Prosecution Service (NPS), the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), and 
the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG). 
Government corporations have a crucial role in the country’s 
economic development. They annually contribute tens of billions to the 
nation’s coffers (approximately PhP375 Billion in 2022), and are the 
indispensable partners of the National Government in nation building, 
particularly in the pursuit of government projects, programs, and initiatives. 
Notably, the number of government corporations has greatly increased to 
seven hundred thirty two (732) to date. 
August 29, 2023
5:04 pm
8996


2 
The OGCC’s vital role in nation building is evident in its stalwart legal 
support to its client corporations. The assistance it renders is based on 
institutional knowledge and specialization, given the vast experience and 
collective wisdom which it has achieved in almost a century of public service 
which began in 1935. 
However, the evolution and broadening of the scope of activities of 
government corporations have resulted in an increase in the volume, 
complexity, and importance of the work of the OGCC.  Thus, it is necessary 
to strengthen the OGCC’s current complement to maintain its effectiveness 
in addressing the legal needs of its clients, particularly corporations which 
do not have internal legal departments. 
The proposed legislative measure shall strengthen the applicable laws 
and issuances on the organizational structure of the OGCC, to create new 
positions in its hierarchy and augment the OGCC’s present complement 
with an additional thirty-six (36) lawyer positions, thus:   
Position 
Current 
number of 
positions 
Proposed 
number of 
positions 
Assistant Government Corporate Counsel 
10 
12 
Government Corporate Attorney IV 
10 
12 
Government Corporate Attorney III 
14 
14 
Government Corporate Attorney II 
17 
17 
Government Corporate Attorney I 
4 
12 
Associate Government Corporate Attorney II 
0 
12 
Associate Government Corporate Attorney I 
0 
12 
Total number of lawyers 
55 
91 
The upgrading of the rank, salary grades, privileges, and benefits of 
the OGCC lawyers is designed to keep them at par with the ranks, salary 
grades, privileges, and benefits of counterpart positions in the Department 
of Justice and its attached agencies, particularly those in the NPS, the PAO, 
and the OSG, thus: 
LAWYER POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 
Required 
number 
of years 
in the 
practice 
of law 
Present 
OGCC 
Position 
and Salary 
Grade 
Executive 
Order No. 
878, as 
amended 
Proposed  
OGCC 
Position and 
Salary 
Grade 
(Proposed 
Act) 
OSG 
Position 
and Salary 
Grade 
Republic Act 
9417  
(2007) 
NPS 
Position 
and Salary 
Grade 
Republic Act 
10071 
(2010) 
PAO 
Position 
and 
Salary 
Grade 
Republic 
Act 9406 
(2007) 


 
 
 
 
3 
 
15 
 
Assistant 
Government 
Corporate 
Counsel 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 29) 
Present 
 
Regional 
Trial Court 
Judge level 
 
 
 
Assistant 
Government 
Corporate 
Counsel 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 30) 
Proposed 
 
Associate 
Justice of 
the Court of 
Appeals level 
 
Assistant 
Solicitor 
General  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 30) 
 
 
Associate 
Justice of 
the Court of 
Appeals level 
 
Prosecutor V 
(Senior 
Deputy 
State, 
Regional, 
Provincial or 
City 
Prosecutor) 
 
 
(SG 30) 
 
 
Associate 
Justice of 
the Court of 
Appeals level 
 
 
Deputy 
Chief 
Public 
Attorney 
(same 
salary and 
privileges 
as the 
counterpart
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10 
 
Government 
Corporate 
Attorney IV 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 28) 
Present 
 
Metropolitan  
Trial Court 
Judge level  
 
 
Government 
Corporate 
Attorney IV 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 29) 
Proposed 
 
Regional 
Trial Court 
Judge level  
 
Senior State 
Solicitor 
General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 29) 
 
 
Regional 
Trial Court 
Judge level 
 
Prosecutor 
IV 
(Deputy 
State, 
Regional, 
Provincial, 
or City 
Prosecutor) 
 
 
(SG 29) 
 
 
Regional 
Trial Court 
Judge 
 
Public 
Attorney V 
(same 
salary and 
privileges 
as the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 
 
 
5 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney III   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 27) 
Present 
 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney III   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 28) 
Proposed 
 
 
State 
Solicitor II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 28) 
 
 
 
Prosecutor 
III 
(Senior 
Assistant 
State,  
Regional, 
Provincial or 
City 
Prosecutor) 
 
(SG 28) 
 
 
 
Public 
Attorney IV 
(same salary 
and 
privileges as 
the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
4 
 
Metropolitan 
Trial Court 
Judge level    
 
Metropolitan 
Trial Court 
Judge level  
Metropolitan 
Trial Court 
Judge level 
 
 
4 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney  II   
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 26) 
Present 
 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney  II   
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 27) 
Proposed 
 
 
State 
Solicitor I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 27) 
 
 
Municipal 
Trial Court 
Judge in 
Cities level 
 
 
Prosecutor II 
Assistant 
State, 
Regional, 
Provincial or  
City 
Prosecutors 
 
(SG 27) 
 
 
Municipal 
Trial Court 
Judge in 
Cities level 
 
 
Public  
Attorney III 
(same 
salary and 
privileges 
as the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 
3 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney  I    
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 25) 
Present 
 
 
Government  
Corporate 
Attorney  I   
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 26) 
Proposed 
 
 
Associate 
Solicitor III 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 26) 
 
Prosecutor  
I 
Associate 
Provincial or 
City 
Prosecutors 
 
 
 
(SG 26) 
 
Public  
Attorney II 
(same 
salary and 
privileges 
as the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 
2 
 
No position 
 
Associate 
Government 
Corporate 
Attorney  II   
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 25) 
Proposed 
 
 
Associate 
Solicitor II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(SG 25) 
 
 
Public 
Attorney I 
(same salary 
and 
privileges as 
the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
 
 
 
 
0 
 
No position 
 
Associate 
Government 
Corporate 
 
Associate 
Solicitor I 
 
 
 
Associate 
Public 
Attorney II 


5 
Attorney  I  
(SG 23) 
Proposed 
(SG 24) 
(same salary 
and 
privileges as 
the 
counterpart 
position in 
the NPS) 
The budget necessary to implement this proposed legislative measure, if 
passed into law, would have minimal to nil impact on the National Budget, but 
is expected to have maximum yield.  
It is worthy to note that, to date, the Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM) allowed the OGCC a total number of eighteen (18) 
coterminous lawyer positions (referred to as BBM and PPP lawyers) in 
recognition of the need to augment its present complement. In this regard, the 
intended creation of additional plantilla positions would be far more expedient. 
There would be minimal budgetary requirements in view of the OGCC’s present 
structure which already incorporates the expenses for 18 coterminous lawyer 
positions.  
The required budget would improve the efficiency and morale of the 
OGCC, effectively result in significant savings for the government, and minimize 
deputization and the engagement by client corporations of external counsel. 
The OGCC is expected to supervise the legal departments of its client 
government corporations, assist its growing number of client corporations 
without legal departments, perform necessary corporate tasks, and handle more 
cases and concerns of its clients which, due to the lack of adequate personnel, 
would previously require the engagement of external counsel. 
It is significant to note that the OGCC’s organizational structure and the 
number of its personnel have remained unchanged since the 1980’s, or for 
approximately four decades. Notably, the strengthening of its counterpart 
agencies, specifically the PAO, OSG, and NPS, had been approved in the years 
2007 and 2010 and implemented through Republic Act (R.A.) 9406 (2007), R.A. 
9417 (2007), and R.A. 10071 (2010), respectively. 
Given its growing number of clients and insufficient number of lawyers, 
the OGCC was constrained to confirm and ratify its client corporations’ 
requests for the engagement of external counsel, for additional manpower and 
to ensure that its clients’ cases were properly handled. The need to undertake 
dispute resolution such as compulsory arbitration, enhance legal risk 
management, and improve remedial structures has exponentially grown, to 
include actions filed in international fora which require expeditious and diligent 
attention. The rigors of arbitration, whether domestic or international, in this 
decade alone required additional manpower particularly given the financial 


6 
impact of such arbitration cases and the magnitude of their effect on public 
welfare. 
The OGCC’s workforce should, therefore, be augmented to sufficiently 
address the developing requirements and legal concerns of the government 
corporate sector. 
IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, the immediate passage of this Bill is 
earnestly sought. 
EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 


7 
Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Constitution Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ 
___________________________________________________________________________
___ 
AN ACT 
UPGRADING AND CREATING ADDITIONAL POSITIONS IN THE OFFICE 
OF THE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 878 DATED 4 MARCH 1983, AS 
AMENDED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 299 DATED 26 JULY 1987  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
3 
Section 1. Section 1 of Executive Order (EO) No.  878, as amended by 
4 
EO No. 299, is hereby further amended, as follows: 
5 
6 
SECTION 1. The Office of the Government Corporate 
7 
Counsel (OGCC) shall be headed by the Government Corporate 
8 
Counsel whose rank, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND PENSION 
9 
BENEFITS, RIGHTS, emoluments and privileges, shall be the 
10 
same as those of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals. 
11 
He shall be assisted by a Deputy Government Corporate 
12 
Counsel whose rank, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND PENSION 
13 
BENEFITS, RIGHTS, emoluments, and privileges shall be the 
14 
same as those of an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, 
15 
and [ten (10)] TWELVE (12) Assistant Government Corporate 
16 
Counsels WITH THE rank, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND 
17 
PENSION BENEFITS, RIGHTS, emoluments, and privileges of 
18 
AN ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS. THE 
19 
SALARY GRADE CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF THE 
20 
DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL SHALL BE 
21 
FOUR 
(4) 
STEPS 
ABOVE 
THE 
SALARY 
GRADE 
22 
CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF AN ASSISTANT 
23 
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL. 
24 
25 
8996


 
 
 
 
8 
NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED GOVERNMENT 
1 
CORPORATE COUNSEL, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CORPORATE 
2 
COUNSEL, 
OR 
ASSISTANT 
GOVERNMENT 
CORPORATE 
3 
COUNSEL UNLESS HE OR SHE IS A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN 
4 
OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE 
5 
PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST 
6 
FIFTEEN (15) YEARS. 
7 
 
8 
The incumbent Government Corporate Counsel, Deputy 
9 
Government Corporate Counsel, and Assistant Government 
10 
Corporate Counsels shall be entitled to the RANK, SALARY, 
11 
RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS, rights, emoluments 
12 
and privileges vested upon them BY THIS ACT as of the time of 
13 
their appointments, AND without need of further appointments. 
14 
 
15 
Sec. 2. Section 4 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby 
16 
further amended, as follows: 
17 
 
18 
Section 
4. 
The 
number, 
rank, 
qualifications 
for 
19 
appointment, emoluments and privileges of the other members 
20 
of the legal staff of OGCC shall be as follows: 
21 
 
22 
A. TWELVE 
(12) 
GOVERNMENT 
CORPORATE 
23 
ATTORNEY IV (GCA IV) POSITIONS. A GCA IV 
24 
SHALL HAVE THE RANK, SALARY, RETIREMENT 
25 
AND 
PENSION 
BENEFITS, 
RIGHTS, 
26 
EMOLUMENTS, AND PRIVILEGES OF A JUDGE OF 
27 
A REGIONAL TRIAL COURT. NO PERSON SHALL 
28 
BE APPOINTED AS GCA IV UNLESS HE OR SHE IS 
29 
A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES 
30 
AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF 
31 
LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST TEN (10) 
32 
YEARS;  
33 
 
34 
B. FOURTEEN 
(14) 
GOVERNMENT 
CORPORATE 
35 
ATTORNEY III (GCA III) POSITIONS. A GCA III 
36 
SHALL HAVE THE RANK, SALARY, RETIREMENT 
37 
AND 
PENSION 
BENEFITS, 
RIGHTS, 
38 
EMOLUMENTS, AND PRIVILEGES OF A JUDGE OF 
39 
A METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT. NO PERSON 
40 
SHALL BE APPOINTED GCA III UNLESS HE OR 
41 
SHE IS A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE 
42 
PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE 
43 
PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT 
44 
LEAST FIVE (5) YEARS;  
45 
 
46 
C. SEVENTEEN 
(17) 
GOVERNMENT 
CORPORATE 
47 
ATTORNEY II (GCA II) POSITIONS. A GCA II SHALL 
48 


 
 
 
 
9 
BE 
A 
NATURAL-BORN 
CITIZEN 
OF 
THE  
1 
PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE 
2 
PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT 
3 
LEAST FOUR (4) YEARS;  
4 
 
5 
D. TWELVE 
(12) 
GOVERNMENT 
CORPORATE 
6 
ATTORNEY I (GCA I) POSITIONS. A GCA I SHALL 
7 
BE 
A 
NATURAL-BORN 
CITIZEN 
OF 
THE 
8 
PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE 
9 
PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT 
10 
LEAST THREE (3) YEARS; 
11 
 
12 
E. TWELVE 
(12) 
ASSOCIATE 
GOVERNMENT 
13 
CORPORATE ATTORNEY II (AGCA II) POSITIONS. 
14 
AN AGCA II SHALL BE A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN 
15 
OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED 
16 
IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES 
17 
FOR AT LEAST TWO (2) YEARS; AND 
18 
 
19 
F. TWELVE 
(12) 
ASSOCIATE 
GOVERNMENT 
20 
CORPORATE ATTORNEY I (AGCA I) POSITIONS. AN 
21 
AGCA I SHALL BE NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF 
22 
THE PHILIPPINES AND A MEMBER OF THE 
23 
PHILIPPINE BAR. 
24 
 
25 
THE INCUMBENT MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL STAFF 
26 
SHALL BE ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS, SALARY, BENEFITS 
27 
AND PRIVILEGES VESTED UPON THEM BY THIS ACT AS OF 
28 
THE TIME OF THEIR APPOINTMENT WITHOUT NEED OF 
29 
FURTHER APPOINTMENT. 
30 
 
31 
 
32 
Sec. 3. Section 5 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby 
33 
further amended, as follows: 
34 
 
35 
SECTION 5. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. –THE 
36 
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL HAS THE AUTHORITY 
37 
TO DISCHARGE THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE 
38 
OGCC, AND SHALL HAVE CONTROL AND SUPERVISION OVER 
39 
THE 
OGCC 
AND 
ITS 
CONSTITUENT 
UNITS. 
 
THE 
40 
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL SHALL PROMULGATE 
41 
THE NECESSARY RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE 
42 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT. 
43 
UNLESS OTHERWISE DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT 
44 
CORPORATE COUNSEL, THE LEGAL STAFF SHALL BE 
45 
DIVIDED INTO TEAMS, EACH TO BE HEADED BY AN AGCC.   
46 
 
47 


 
 
 
 
10 
THE OGCC SHALL BE SUPPORTED BY SUCH NUMBER 
1 
OF 
NON-LEGAL 
PERSONNEL 
NECESSARY 
AND 
2 
COMMENSURATE TO THE OGCC’S WORK REQUIREMENTS, 
3 
AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OGCC AND APPROVED BY THE 
4 
DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT. NON-LEGAL 
5 
PERSONNEL SHALL HAVE THE SAME SALARIES AND 
6 
BENEFITS AS THOSE OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE 
7 
OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL.   
8 
 
9 
THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE OGCC 
10 
SHALL BE COMPOSED OF ITS SECRETARIAL AND LEGAL 
11 
SUPPORT 
SERVICE; 
TRAINING, 
RESEARCH, 
AND 
12 
PUBLICATION 
SERVICE; 
FINANCE 
AND 
ACCOUNTING 
13 
SERVICE; HUMAN RESOURCE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE; 
14 
CASE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SERVICE; LIBRARY 
15 
MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE; 
16 
CORPORATE PLANNING SERVICE; AND PROPERTY AND 
17 
SUPPLY SERVICE. THE LEGAL AND NON-LEGAL PERSONNEL 
18 
OF THE OGCC OCCUPYING THE POSITIONS AFFECTED BY 
19 
THE CHANGES EMBODIED IN THIS ACT AT THE TIME OF ITS 
20 
APPROVAL SHALL THEREAFTER OCCUPY AND DISCHARGE 
21 
THE 
DUTIES 
AND 
FUNCTIONS 
OF 
THE 
UPGRADED 
22 
POSITIONS AND RECEIVE THE CORRESPONDING SALARY, 
23 
BENEFITS, 
EMOLUMENTS, 
AND 
PRIVILEGES 
WITHOUT 
24 
NECESSITY OF NEW APPOINTMENTS. 
25 
 
26 
 
27 
Sec. 4. Section 7 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby 
28 
further amended as follows: 
29 
 
30 
 
SECTION 7. APPROPRIATIONS. - THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO 
31 
IMPLEMENT THE UPGRADING OF POSITIONS AND SALARIES, 
32 
OFFICE RIGHT-SIZING, PHYSICAL EXPANSION, AND PAYMENT OF 
33 
RETIREMENT BENEFITS, PENSION, PRIVILEGES, AND OTHER 
34 
EMOLUMENTS PROVIDED IN THIS ACT SHALL BE TAKEN FROM 
35 
THE FUNDS AND BUDGET OF THE OGCC UNDER THE ANNUAL 
36 
GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT. 
37 
 
38 
Sec. 
5. 
REPEALING 
CLAUSE. 
- 
ALL 
LAWS, 
PRESIDENTIAL 
39 
DECREES, EXECUTIVE ORDERS, PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS, 
40 
ISSUANCES, RULES AND REGULATIONS, OR PARTS THEREOF THAT 
41 
ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT ARE 
42 
HEREBY REPEALED AND/OR MODIFIED ACCORDINGLY. 
43 
 
44 
Sec. 6.  EFFECTIVITY. - THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AFTER 
45 
FIFTEEN (15) DAYS FOLLOWING ITS COMPLETE PUBLICATION IN 
46 
THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE OR IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL 
47 
CIRCULATION. 
48 


 
 
 
 
11 
 
1 
 
2 
APPROVED, 
3