‘Neri given a warm welcome’

This is in reference to the news article titled “Neri gets cold reception on first day at SSS,” which was published on the Philippine STAR last August 2.

The article said: “Employees of the Social Security System gave their new boss Romulo Neri a cold reception on his first day on the job yesterday.” The story written by Rainier Allan Ronda also cited Mr. Neri’s “subordinates’ seeming lack of enthusiasm.”

The SSS should not be a victim to such sloppy reporting. There wasn’t a single sentence in the entire article supporting Mr. Ronda’s allegation that SSS employees  gave Mr. Neri a “cold reception on his first day on the job.” To make matters worse, Mr. Ronda used this as his lead despite the lack of basis.

Contrary to the article, Mr. Neri was warmly welcomed in the SSS. In fact, the main office lobby was full of SSS officials and employees who came to witness the turnover ceremonies that very same afternoon. They also approached Mr. Neri afterwards to personally welcome him to the institution.

To say that “a huge crowd of indignant workers and militants gathered outside the SSS main office” is also misleading. Only several members of groups such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis staged a protest outside the SSS that morning.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to make clarifications to SSS members and your readers. – Joel P. Palacios, assistant vice president, Media  Affairs Department, SSS