CAPITOL NEWS

Marquez Orders Employees’ Records Updating

by Richie D. Oloroso

Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez has directed all department heads of the provincial government to immediately update government employees’ records.

The directive specifically emphasized the updating of the employees’ membership service profiles, related records, transactions, and premium remittances with the GSIS. The updating includes that of those who have retired.

Through Resolution No. 2011 – 056 sponsored by the Hon. Phoebe Clarice Cabagnot and approved during the March 16 SP regular session, it was learned some one million seven hundred thousand pesos (P1.7 million) in premium remittances withheld from the salaries of the employees including the provincial government counterparts were not recorded in the books of the GSIS.

Cabagnot’s resolution was approved by the SP committee on human resource, committee on appropriation, budget, finance and ways and means, and the oversight committee. It resolved to investigate the discrepancies in the employees’ records with the GSIS.

In a committee hearing, the Provincial Accountant and the Provincial Treasurer flatly denied that there were non-remittance of premiums and repayment of loans deducted from the salaries of the employees cited in the resolution.

The GSIS management, in the subsequent committee hearing conducted by the SP, neither admit nor deny the unrecorded remittances. "It might have been the result of the failure of the GSIS computer system to record transactions of member-employers within the period covered," said GSIS representatives.

According to the GSIS, "the period July 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999, the provincial government counterpart for GSIS premiums were withheld by the Department of Budget and Management which in turn directly remitted to the GSIS the corresponding premiums withheld from the Internal Revenue Allotment share of the provincial government without the specifics and the particulars, thus were not reflected in the individual transaction records of the employees with the GSIS".

"The membership services profiles of the provincial government employees were not updated with the GSIS causing the failure on the GSIS computer system to record transactions of individual members," it added.

In view of those findings, Cabagnot filed another Resolution No. 2011-063 requesting the Provincial Governor to direct all department heads of the provincial government to accurately and promptly update records of provincial government employees to include retirees, with the GSIS through the designated agency authorized officers of every department.

IMMEDIATE ACTIVATION

Aklan Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo-Quimpo calls for the immediate activation of the respective crisis management committee and to create the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office as well as strengthen their respective disaster risk reduction and management councils to all Aklan LGU executives.

The call is embodied in Resolution No. 2011-057 Vice Governor Quimpo sponsored and approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its March 16 regular session. To recall, on August 25, 2010 immediately after the hostage crisis at Rizal Park, Manila which killed a number of Hong Kong nationals, Quimpo requested the DILG and the law enforcement agencies under it, particularly the Philippine National Police, the Provincial Government in Aklan, all related national and local government agencies, and private sector organizations in the province to organize a security crisis management structure to craft and implement a ready, doable, adequate, and responsive security plan and protocol designed to preempt, and effectively respond to crisis situation involving security focused on the tourists gateways and destinations in Aklan.

On the other hand, Gov. Carlito S. Marquez issued on October 15, 2010 Executive Order No. 045 creating the Provincial Crisis Management Committee, defining its powers and functions. The Governor himself chairs with Vice Governor Quimpo as vice chair of the committee.

Crisis Management Committee (CMC) at the municipal level, the municipal mayors have yet to create and activate their respective committees. Quimpo urged local government in the province to implement the law which mandates for the "Strengthening of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System, Provides For The National Disaster Risk Reduction And Management Framework And Institutionizing The National Disaster Risk Reduction And Management Plan, Appropriating Funds Therefore And For Other Purposes".

The same law also mandates the creation of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices at the provincial and municipal levels.

This kind of office does not exist at the provincial and municipal levels in Aklan, although Marquez has issued Executive Order No. 004 on January 20, 2011, reorganizing the former Aklan Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council into the "Aklan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council".

Vice Gov.Quimpo’s resolution urges the Governor to direct the PDRMO to conduct orientation and trainings of the council members and volunteer groups to plan the holding of simulation exercises to the lowest level and execute the same as soon as possible to include identification and installation of evacuation centers and the conduct of public information campaign. /MP