Popularity at our expense

Politicians will stop at nothing just to please their voters and keep themselves in power.

For instance, those who are currently in Congress and belong to the Marcos Jr. administration have blocked the legal and scheduled increase in membership contributions to PhilHealth and are now trying to do the same to the Social Security System. Just yesterday, I read in The Philippine STAR how members of the House of Representatives are working on a bill that will give President Bongbong Marcos the power to stop any new increases in PhilHealth contributions.

These actions are clearly populist in intent, designed to please employers and business people, making them believe that their congressman is eager to help them reduce costs and contributions. Ironically, many business owners seem to have forgotten the years when executives and business owners before them had to draw out of pocket and pay for their employees’ hospitalization, funeral or extend the never-ending loans needed for tuition fees or typhoon damage.

Through the years, in spite of their faults and shortcomings, both SSS and PhilHealth have steadily improved their services, membership benefits and have helped millions of Filipinos survive the toughest of times and uncertainties. Time and again, I have watched and listened to patient families talk about how PhilHealth benefits relieve so much of their financial burden and released patients from hospitals.

In a recent episode of our show AGENDA, our guest Mr. Vince Rapisura talked about investments and he got my attention when he pointed out that one very “good investment” was SSS and PhilHealth membership. I never saw it that way before, but as Vince explained, it was a sure deal since it is state run and you get more than your money back considering the cost of medicine, hospitalization that PhilHealth covers alongside the pension and loans that SSS extends. We’re not even talking of the funeral assistance that SSS members get.

The problem is our “sure deal” may end up becoming a “misdeal” at the rate that populist politicians like BBM and his cohorts in Congress are gambling against future funds for SSS and PhilHealth. Why oppose contributions that have proven pay-out and dependability just to pacify people who always think of ways to cut back on employee benefits and related expenses instead of asking PBBM for laws and policies that will improve “Ease Of Doing Business.”

In case our “business-friendly” politicians have not realized it, most Filipinos don’t scream bloody murder about the incessant rate of increases of fuel, the high cost of electricity or even the comparatively expensive cost of mobile and internet services in the Philippines. It’s not ideal, we don’t like it, but we accept it because somehow, we get something that contributes to our quality of life. We get something good from what we pay, or in the case of SSS and PhilHealth, we have a substantial return on investment, especially the ordinary and the poor!

Any attempt to block, delay or reduce membership contributions to the SSS and especially PhilHealth will hurt the majority of Filipinos in the future who do not have emergency funds. Even members of Congress and the Senate can only sign so many “promissory notes” to public/government hospitals to cover the cost of indigent persons. The word “system” is part of the name of the SSS and PhilHealth. The “system” operates based on data, science, math and inputs. Popularity and politics were never part of the system. Let’s keep both of them out of the system.

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While interviewing Senator Bato dela Rosa on numerous issues, we talked about the ongoing cleansing process being undertaken by DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and Chief PNP General Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

I asked the good senator why the PNP needed to form a “Review Committee” if the PNP has had, for the longest time, the Internal Affairs Services (IAS), which looks into various concerns involving professionalism, integrity, as well as criminality within the ranks of the PNP. I pointed out that forming the review committee effectively says that the IAS is not up to the job.

Senator Bato came up with numerous reasons and one was for purposes of impartiality and the fact that it might be challenging for the IAS to investigate a general or an entire unit or office. But the real discovery for me was when Senator Bato pointed out that because the Philippine National Police took on its “civilian character,” the organization had to let go of “military style” justice based on the Articles of War.

The PNP and its officers can no longer automatically detain or throw an erring police office to the brig or cell like in the old days of the Philippine Constabulary. Today, when a police officer commits a crime or violates the code of conduct, they call in investigators, lawyers; go through numerous legal process just like you would in filing charges against an ordinary civilian. The only possible exemption is if the police officer is caught in the act like an ordinary criminal.

What’s interesting is the Philippine Coast Guard, which came from the PNP, has adopted the code of the Philippine Navy, thereby falling under the “military code” of discipline.

Senator Dela Rosa said that in order for the PNP to go back to the old but effective system, amendments would have to be made to the laws that formed what is now the Philippine National Police. In other words, ex-PNP generals such as Senator Bato and a couple of upperclassmen who are now congressmen would have to push for the necessary bill of amendments.

This is the sort of bill that congressmen should be working on in order to restore discipline and immediate justice within the PNP and not bills that could jeopardize the stability of the Social Security SYSTEM and the Philippine Health Insurance SYSTEM!

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