GSIS to finish Caloocan worker records by next month

MANILA, Philippines -  The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will finish reviewing the “reconciled” records of Caloocan City’s employees by September, an official said Monday.

Mary Rose Lubang, GSIS collection section chief, said they have already started to review the records submitted to their office Friday by Mayor Enrico Echiverri and are hoping to finish the process by September.

“Once the records are reconciled, and a MOA (memorandum of agreement) signed between the GSIS and the Caloocan City government for the settlement of the obligations, members – including those who had retired – could already start processing their claims, as well as the beneficiaries of (deceased) members,” Lubang told The STAR in a telephone interview.

Lubang said the Caloocan City government asked the GSIS to finish the review and validation of the reconciled records within this month but she said it would be “too tight” a deadline for them.

For the past seven years, at least 3,000 Caloocan City Hall employees failed to get any benefits after the GSIS suspended their privileges due to unsettled obligations.

Last July 7, Vice Mayor Edgar Erice filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Echiverri for alleged non-payment of employees’ premiums amounting to around P343 million.

He sought the suspension of Echiverri because of the GSIS mess and on July 18, then acting ombudsman Orlando Casimiro ordered Echiverri suspended for six months. Echiverri was able to get a 60-day temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals.

Echiverri said the local government overpaid the GSIS by more than P3 million. Lubang said the mayor’s claim would be validated once they could finish the review of the “updated” documents.

City administrator Russel Ramirez said the city has religiously paid the premium contributions of 1,565 active workers and 1,208 others who have already retired, died, resigned, dismissed and transferred to other government agencies.

“Employees no longer in service were continuously charged and likewise, their non-payment was even included in the arrears and interests,” he raised.

He attributed the delay in the posting of GSIS payments of their employees to “unmatched records,” such as misspelled names, outdated information or missing newly available information, or incomplete attachments.

Some city hall employees have not yet been billed or charged their monthly premiums because of the non-assignment of their respective business partner numbers and their non-inclusion in the master list of GSIS members, he added.