Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House Bill No. ______
______________________________________________________________________
Introduced by Representative PABLO JOHN F. GARCIA
______________________________________________________________________
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
The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) is mandated to
safeguard the legal interest of all government-owned and controlled corporations, their
subsidiaries, other corporate offsprings, and government-acquired asset corporations. It
exercises control and supervision over all legal departments or divisions around 732
government corporations that has contributed approximately PhP 375 billion in the
economy in 2022. The OGCC’s long-standing support for these entities is based on its
institutional knowledge and specialization developed over nearly a century of public
service since 1935. However, the growing number of government corporations and their
increasingly complex requirements necessitates reforms. This bill seeks to strengthen
OGCC through the enhancement of its organizational structure, expansion of its legal
staff, and improvement of its services.
Acknowledging that a version of this bill that was passed during the 18th
Congress was vetoed, this new iteration addresses the President’s reservations. This
bill proposes to create new positions in the OGCC to augment its present complement
with an additional thirty-six (36) lawyer positions and to upgrade the rank, salary grades,
privileges, and benefits of the OGCC lawyers 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. This will enhance OGCC's efficiency and morale, resulting in
significant government savings and reducing the need for external legal counsel for
September 27, 2023
10:47 am
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client
corporations
especially
since
the OGCC is expected to supervise legal
departments, assist client corporations without legal departments, handle corporate
tasks, and manage more cases, previously necessitating external legal representation
due to inadequate personnel.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
requested.
PABLO JOHN F. GARCIA
3rd District, Cebu Province


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
House Bill No. ______
Introduced Representative PABLO JOHN F. GARCIA
______________________________________________________________________
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 Philippines in
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Section 1 of Executive Order (EO) No. 878, as amended by EO No.
299, is hereby further amended, as follows:
SECTION 1. The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC)
shall be headed by the Government Corporate Counsel whose rank, SALARY,
RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS, RIGHTS, emoluments and
privileges, shall be the same as those of the Presiding Justice of the Court of
Appeals. He shall be assisted by a Deputy Government Corporate Counsel
whose rank, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS, RIGHTS,
emoluments, and privileges shall be the same as those of an Associate Justice of
the Court of Appeals, and TWELVE (12) Assistant Government Corporate
Counsels WITH THE rank, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS,
RIGHTS, emoluments, and privileges of AN ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE
COURT OF APPEALS. THE SALARY GRADE CORRESPONDING TO THE
POSITION OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL SHALL
BE FOUR (4) STEPS ABOVE THE SALARY GRADE CORRESPONDING TO
THE POSITION OF AN ASSISTANT GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL.
NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED GOVERNMENT CORPORATE
COUNSEL, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL, OR
ASSISTANT GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL UNLESS HE OR SHE IS
A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN
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ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST
FIFTEEN (15) YEARS.
The incumbent Government Corporate Counsel, Deputy Government
Corporate Counsel, and Assistant Government Corporate Counsels shall be
entitled to the RANK, SALARY, RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS,
rights, emoluments and privileges vested upon them BY THIS ACT as of the time
of their appointments, AND without need of further appointments.
Sec. 2. Section 4 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby further
amended, as follows:
Section 4. The number, rank, qualifications for appointment, emoluments
and privileges of the other members of the legal staff of OGCC shall be as
follows:
A. TWELVE (12) GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY IV (GCA IV)
POSITIONS. A GCA IV SHALL HAVE THE RANK, SALARY,
RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS, RIGHTS, EMOLUMENTS,
AND PRIVILEGES OF A JUDGE OF A REGIONAL TRIAL COURT. NO
PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED AS GCA IV UNLESS HE OR SHE IS A
NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN
ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT
LEAST TEN (10) YEARS;
B. FOURTEEN (14) GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY III (GCA
III) POSITIONS. A GCA III SHALL HAVE THE RANK, SALARY,
RETIREMENT AND PENSION BENEFITS, RIGHTS, EMOLUMENTS,
AND PRIVILEGES OF A JUDGE OF A METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT.
NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED GCA III UNLESS HE OR SHE IS A
NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN
ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT
LEAST FIVE (5) YEARS;
C. SEVENTEEN (17) GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY II (GCA
II) POSITIONS. A GCA II SHALL BE A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF
THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF
LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST FOUR (4) YEARS;


D. TWELVE (12) GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY I (GCA I)
POSITIONS. A GCA I SHALL BE A NATURAL-BORN CITIZEN OF THE
PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW
IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST THREE (3) YEARS;
E. TWELVE (12) ASSOCIATE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY
II (AGCA II) POSITIONS. AN AGCA II SHALL BE A NATURAL-BORN
CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE
PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST TWO (2)
YEARS; AND
F. TWELVE (12) ASSOCIATE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ATTORNEY
I (AGCA I) POSITIONS. AN AGCA I SHALL BE NATURAL-BORN
CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES AND A MEMBER OF THE PHILIPPINE
BAR.
THE INCUMBENT MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL STAFF SHALL BE
ENTITLED TO THE RIGHTS, SALARY, BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES VESTED
UPON THEM BY THIS ACT AS OF THE TIME OF THEIR APPOINTMENT
WITHOUT NEED OF FURTHER APPOINTMENT.
Sec. 3. Section 5 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby 34
further amended, as follows:
SECTION 5. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. –THE GOVERNMENT
CORPORATE COUNSEL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DISCHARGE THE
DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE OGCC, AND SHALL HAVE CONTROL AND
SUPERVISION OVER THE OGCC AND ITS CONSTITUENT UNITS. THE
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL SHALL PROMULGATE THE
NECESSARY RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT. UNLESS OTHERWISE DETERMINED BY
THE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL, THE LEGAL STAFF SHALL BE
DIVIDED INTO TEAMS, EACH TO BE HEADED BY AN AGCC.
THE OGCC SHALL BE SUPPORTED BY SUCH NUMBER OF
NON-LEGAL PERSONNEL NECESSARY AND COMMENSURATE TO THE
OGCC’S WORK REQUIREMENTS, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OGCC AND
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT.
NON-LEGAL PERSONNEL SHALL HAVE THE SAME SALARIES AND


BENEFITS AS THOSE OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE OFFICE OF THE
SOLICITOR GENERAL.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE OGCC SHALL BE
COMPOSED OF ITS SECRETARIAL AND LEGAL SUPPORT SERVICE;
TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND PUBLICATION SERVICE; FINANCE AND
ACCOUNTING SERVICE; HUMAN RESOURCE AND MANAGEMENT
SERVICE; CASE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SERVICE; LIBRARY
MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE; CORPORATE
PLANNING SERVICE; AND PROPERTY AND SUPPLY SERVICE. THE LEGAL
AND NON-LEGAL PERSONNEL OF THE OGCC OCCUPYING THE
POSITIONS AFFECTED BY THE CHANGES EMBODIED IN THIS ACT AT THE
TIME OF ITS APPROVAL SHALL THEREAFTER OCCUPY AND DISCHARGE
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE UPGRADED POSITIONS AND
RECEIVE THE CORRESPONDING SALARY, BENEFITS, EMOLUMENTS, AND
PRIVILEGES WITHOUT NECESSITY OF NEW APPOINTMENTS.
Sec. 4. Section 7 of EO No. 878, as amended by EO No. 299, is hereby 29
further amended as follows:
SECTION 7. APPROPRIATIONS. - THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO
IMPLEMENT THE UPGRADING OF POSITIONS AND SALARIES, OFFICE
RIGHT-SIZING, PHYSICAL EXPANSION, AND PAYMENT OF RETIREMENT
BENEFITS, PENSION, PRIVILEGES, AND OTHER EMOLUMENTS PROVIDED
IN THIS ACT SHALL BE TAKEN FROM THE FUNDS AND BUDGET OF THE
OGCC UNDER THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT.
Sec. 5. REPEALING CLAUSE. - ALL LAWS, PRESIDENTIAL DECREES,
EXECUTIVE ORDERS, PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATIONS, ISSUANCES,
RULES AND REGULATIONS, OR PARTS THEREOF THAT ARE
INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT ARE HEREBY
REPEALED AND/OR MODIFIED ACCORDINGLY.
Sec. 6. EFFECTIVITY. - THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AFTER FIFTEEN (15)
DAYS FOLLOWING ITS COMPLETE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL
GAZETTE OR IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION.
APPROVED,