(Editor’s Note: Like the GSIS pensioners in Aklan, the old age pensioners in the Province of Bohol have waged war with Mr. Winston Garcia, President/General Manager of Government Service Insurance System. This is the war in the use of e-Card Plus in order to transact business with the GSIS such as the payment of old age pension.
Quoted hereunder is a letter from Mr. Francisco C. Reyes, Jr. and other GSIS pensioners requesting the City Mayor, Atty. Dan Neri Lim of Tagbilaran City to intercede in their behalf with the GSIS so that they can be paid their already delayed monthly pension by sending it via postal service.)
Atty. Dan Neri Lim
City Mayor
Tagbilaran City
Bohol
Dear Mayor Dan,
Greetings from the Boholanos!
This is to register our formal protest against MR. WINSTON GARCIA, Chairman and President of the Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) for his inhuman treatment of the Old-Age Pensioners and their survivors who are also beneficiaries of their departed families.
We are taking this step because we, the retirees can no longer endure our sufferings from GSIS, Mr. Garcia has caused us serious irreparable damage.
Here is the brief summary of our complaint to wit;
1. Compelling the old-age pensioners to enroll in the so-called E-Card plus system without consulting the retirees, because of this our meager monthly pensions was suspended leaving the sickly, disabled and handicapped helpless. This problem also exists in all GSIS Branch Offices all over the country.
2. Even after complying with the E-Card system that was forcibly imposed upon us, we would not (cannot) withdraw from the Union Bank because there is no fund in the account of the E-Card Holders.
3. The year-end bonus was distributed in a selected manner where hundreds of beneficiaries did not receive their share; without giving the retirees the courtesy of an explanation.
4. Most of the retirees have to travel from the towns to Tagbilaran City where ATM machine is available. The old and sickly folks have to spend whatever little money they have for their expenses in the city. Some have to travel in wheelchair, with cane walker and those who can barely walk only to find out that there is no money in their account.
5. GSIS have been promising many times to resume our suspended pensions but no positive action was done to the detriment of these old folks. The new E-Card system has been proven to be inconvenient, overly burdensome yet ineffective. Under the old system, the retirees simply had to wait for their checks in the mail. But now, they have to take time, money and effort just to go to the offices where ATM facilities are available. Some have to travel hundreds of kilometers to the city just to get their pension. What compound the matter is, they don’t know how to use the ATM Machine. More often, they have to rely on the assistance of others at the risk of loss, theft or defalcation.
6. Winston Garcia has miserably failed to comply with his avowed undertaking to fast-track the new system. Unfortunately, up to now, the poor retirees are still waiting for the result of this new system to no avail.
To set the record straight, the GSIS have no right to withhold our hard-earned money. We have been deducted portions of our meager salary just for our retirement purpose. This unfortunate incident is the dismal and tragic result of inefficiency. We referred this matter with the proper authorities but it appears our pleadings have fallen on deaf ears.
Right now, several prominent lawyers two of which are bar topnotchers have offered their legal services. In a week or so, after they have gathered enough evidence, they will file appropriate criminal charges against Mr. Garcia and his cohorts. Meantime, we are taking this initiative to inform other affective pensioners in other areas in the archipelago thru the assistance of the print media and television networks.
In the city alone, not including the 47 towns, there are more than 4,000 government services retirees and about 30% of this roughly one thousand two hundred more or less are affected by this problem. If we include the survivors beneficiaries, it will run to another thousands more.
Along this line, we humbly beg your kind indulgence and intercession with at least help us to investigate the GSIS to get (to) the bottom this tragic mess. We are afraid we are made sacrificial lambs of some insidious agenda. We also would like to express that our pension is very crucial to our continued existence. Kindly extend your helping hand.
Thank you most sincerely for your kind assistance. God Bless.
For: THE OLD GSIS PENSIONERS’
By: (Sgd.) FRANCISCO C. REYES JR.
AND OTHER RETIREES
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