OSCA clarifies list is not payroll

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs assured senior citizens that there is nothing to be alarmed with the delisting incident last week.

OSCA head Rolando Llaguno said the issue has gone out of proportion and clarified that the list distributed to the different barangays was not the pay roll.

“I would like to clarify that it was not the payroll. We printed a list and distributed it to the barangays so they can check if there are senior citizens from their barangays that were not included. It was in preparation for the payroll,” Llaguno said.

Llaguno said they did not anticipate the computer glitch that occurred which he knew only after the barangays start to complain.

Earlier, OSCA reported that the list of beneficiaries distributed to the barangays was not the correct one as it came from a corrupted file.

The computer reportedly crashed when OSCA personnel was trying to print the list.

“I admit there was a lapse in our part because when it was printed, we did not review before it was distributed,” he said.

He assured the original master list has a back-up copy and it will be used as basis for the pay roll.

The pay roll will be available next week.

“What’s certain is that all who received financial assistance last June will receive next month except for those who are already deceased or those whose names appear twice or thrice in the payrolls,” Llaguno said.

He dispelled insinuations that the delisting was intentional and politically motivated.

“I would like to tell the public that this (OSCA) office does not entertain politics, for God’s sake,” Llaguno said to erase the doubt and confusion of the public.

OSCA executives are ready to appear before the council to shed light on the incident. This after the council, in a resolution, urged OSCA to explain.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, chairman of the committee of social services, wanted OSCA to be investigated after the delisting incident.

Mayor Michael Rama said everything is being taken care of by OSCA so there is no reason to delay the distribution of assistance.

The distribution was initially scheduled on the second week of December.

Senior citizens will be receiving P4,000. Last June, they received P3,000 assistance.  (FREEMAN)