This is the motto of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) under the stewardship of Ms. Gloria Arroyo’s crony, Winston Garcia.

What a big, fat lie! It should change the motto to: KAHIT SAAN, KAHIT KAILAN…. HINDI MAAASAHAN (Wherever, Whenever… It cannot be depended upon.")

***

Following are reactions to my last column on the GSIS:

From Ambassador Rodolfo Arizala in Santiago, Chile: "Thanks for reminding GSIS president and general manager Winston F. Garcia about my case. To tell you the truth, since my monthly pension was suspended in August 2006, and despite my explanation that due to my present state of health I could not undertake the long travel to the Philippines or to any of our consulates in the US to personally apply for an E-card, up to now I have not yet been paid my monthly pensions. Besides, granting arguendo that I have already an E-card, GSIS has not informed me which bank in Santiago, Chile GSIS has made arrangements with to pay my monthly pension thru ATM with the use of said E-card."

From Ambassador Ruperto Dizon in Boston, Massachusetts: "Thanks for mentioning the travails with the GSIS of pensioners like me and Rudy Arizala in your most recent MALAYA column."

(Incidentally, Ambassador Dizon raised earlier the problem of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) not remitting on time GSIS premium payments of personnel which are automatically deducted from the monthly payroll. The much delayed or non-remittance of said premium payments affects the amount received by personnel upon their retirement. Has the problem been rectified, Secretary Romulo?)

From Ms. Juliet Posadas in San Francisco, California: "According to the Consulate people they get a lot of calls from retirees here complaining about non-receipt of pension. Sa kanila daw bumabagsak ang galit ng mga tao. The Consulate already brought this to the attention of DFA and directly to GSIS cc DFA. GSIS doesn’t even have a representative here kaya dagdag trabaho sa kanila. Yung isang kasabay namin four months nang walang natatanggap. She has the E-card of her father who is too old to come to the Consulate but they are unable to get any money from the ATM machine.

"I understand the normal waiting time before we receive our E-card is three to four months. And good if I can get money right away from the ATM. Why doesn’t GSIS just pay the back pension in full by check? I understand we cannot also withdraw them in full, including the retirees who live in the provinces who are too old to come down to Manila to revalidate their E-card. These retirees can get certification from their municipal mayor that they are indeed still alive. They should be able to make special arrangements for these retirees."

From "Roly Lira"(anditos22125-@yahoo.com: "Your story about GSIS unable to pay pension is exactly the same with what happened to my mother’s pension. Exactly the same alibi. I wonder what’s happening with our government institution. They cannot even afford to help old ones who are in dire need of their pension just to buy their medicines."

Again from Ms. Posadas on the case of Ms. Ruby Parial, a retired Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) commercial counselor: "Here is the case of Ruby Parial who got her E-card April of last year but was unable to withdraw money before she left Manila. She did not try to withdraw here as she intended to go back and withdraw in Manila but was unable to do so because of her mother’s illness. Today, she did try and you know what appeared on the ATM after the usual instructions? Sorry we cannot help you’. She went inside the bank to request assistance and clarification but it seems they were also clueless and could not help.

"So, what to do now? She said she will try to call GSIS but you know how frustrating to call them especially from here – ang laki na ng telephone bill mo after getting connected and transferred from one office to another you cannot even get to talk to the right person.

"Imagine, it is already one year this April and not a single cent was deposited in her account. What are they doing with the money intended for the retirees?"

That is a good question, Juliet. But perhaps the more appropriate question to ask would be: "Is the GSIS solvent?" Judging from the complaints of many about the non-payment of their pension for months and even years, it would appear it is not. If so, where has all the money gone to?

I believe it is time for a full-fledged Senate investigation to be conducted on the GSIS. I have a feeling a whole can of worms will be uncovered.

***

According to its website, GSIS has a Board of Trustees of 10 members. Its top management, under Garcia, has ballooned to a total of 42 officials – two Executive Vice Presidents, 12 with the rank of Senior Vice President and 29 with the rank of Vice President. Not even the biggest corporation in the world has that many senior officers! The total compensation received by these persons must be in the tens of millions of pesos every year!

They should be ashamed of themselves. They’ve been feeding on the meager earnings of poor civil servants and, worse, the pension of innumerable retirees, many of whom have not been paid their pension for months, some for years.

What is even more infuriating is that with the multitude of complaints aired by pensioners against the GSIS, no one, least of all Garcia has had the decency to reply to them.

Winston, gising!!! Mahiya ka naman. Have you no compassion for these retired civil servants? Just think, your huge salary and allowances are partly paid for by them through their past contributions and the income taxes they paid.

***

The reported decision of the Supreme Court to lower the passing grade from 75 to 70 for bar examinees is hare-brained. It can only result in producing lawyers who are in the least bit qualified to practice law.

That is not the solution to the low passing rate in the bar examination. The solution is to elevate the standard of education in law and, for that matter, in all other fields of discipline.

***

Today is the 347th day of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

On the occasion of Jonas’ 38th birthday two weeks ago, his mother Edita, issued the following appeal:

"Those who have ordered his abduction, those who have abducted him, those who have tortured him, those who continue holding him captive . . . we address this message: The heavenly Father is a merciful God. He forgives all, all that we must do is to approach him and ask for forgiveness and live a renewed life. We pray that all of you would be enlightened and right the wrong/s you have done to Jonas and the other disappeared. If before, you had to act upon orders of your superiors, today, you are freed from that and must listen to the voice of our Lord. Abduction and killing will always be wrong. It will always be a sin. It is not only those who have participated in the ordering, the abduction and all the means that lead to Jonas’ continued disappearance who are guilty, but also those who have the knowledge but do not act to help in the surfacing of Jonas and victims of disappearance sin as well. How can we face the Lord when we attend services, or pray to Him, knowing our hands and hearts are soiled by this participation?

"It is not too late. The choice is yours. The benefit and the gain you get for your continued silence and participation in this sin will only last for a lifetime at most, but the damage it will do may mean the loss of your soul for all eternity.

"We plead to those who have the knowledge of how we can find Jonas to come out clean and to make right the wrong they have committed. Call us, see us, talk to our friends. Help us find Jonas. You have been forgiven. We pray for your soul."