I wonder why. Each senator has assistants receiving and monitoring anything and everything that concerns their bosses. I believe the assistants themselves should be concerned. They too are covered by the GSIS. They too will retire one day. And if what ails the GSIS now is not remedied, they too will suffer the same, if not worse, fate as many of the current pensioners do.

***

GSIS VP for public affairs Ella Valencerina just doesn’t seem to get it. In a letter to our editor-in-chief, she insists that the following, who have never gotten a reply to their complaints until they were aired in this space, should personally enroll for their eCard Plus either in the Philippines or at a GSIS kiosk abroad:

1. Ambassador Rodolfo Arizala, 78, who resides in Santiago, Chile will have to fly 35 hours, one-way, to come here. It would take him 18 flying hours, one-way, to go to the US. With the cost of the visa, airfare, accommodations and other expenses, it wouldn’t be cost-effective for him to do either. However, the most important consideration is that he is frail of health. His doctor has advised him not to travel long distances.

2. Ms. Soledad Parial, 98, is terminally ill and confined to a nursing home in the US .

3. Floro H. Pimentel, 91, lives in Australia and obviously is too old to withstand the rigors of travel.

4. Jack P. Smith, 87, who is in the US and who according to his son Jack, Jr., has a vertigo-racked brain, failing eyesight and hard of hearing.

And Ms. Valencerina expects them to get their eCard Plus personally? Get real, please!

***

Ms. Valencerina says GSIS "will ‘soon’ fully implement the new system complementing the G-W@PS kiosk. Dubbed GSIS Voice Activated Processing System (G-V@PS), it will enable GSIS pensioners to comply with the Annual Renewal of Active Status (ARAS) using only any telephone, including cell phones, after a one-time enrollment or voice print capture also in the consular office."

"Soon" is relative. And to old-age pensioners like those mentioned above, it is not soon enough.

So why can’t they (and others like them) be paid their pension by sending them checks or arranging to remit their pension through a bank in their locality, as in fact the Social Security System (SSS) does? (A certification issued by the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate that the pensioners are in fact still alive should suffice to satisfy GSIS’ requirement. Embassy and consular personnel will only be too glad to visit them as part of their outreach program. For those who are in the Philippines , a certificate issued by the mayor should suffice.)

And please do not forget to add interest on their back payments at the same rate that GSIS imposes on members’ arrears!

***

It turns out that members’ problems with the GSIS are not confined to pension alone.

Take the case of Valeriano Almazan (valeriano_almazan@yahoo.com). GSIS has not been responsive at all to his request for reconsideration of his pension loan application; or that of Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang (ejpquilang@philrice.gov.ph) and many others like him who have not received their GSIS dividends (does GSIS still declare dividends? If not, why not?). Or the alleged non-payment of loans as in the case of Eusebio Dizon (drbongdizon@ yahoo.com) and many more like him because of GSIS’ failure to post their payments on time.

And there is the case of Ms. Sylvia P. Reyes (spmreyes612@yahoo.com) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). For the last five years, her problem with the GSIS has remained unresolved.

Reyes’ insurance policy matured in 2003. From its face value was deducted "arrears" (plus compounded interest) of her monthly membership fee and payment of salary and policy loans. She says she should have no arrears whatsoever because all her dues were automatically deducted by the DFA from her salary every payday. She blames the GSIS for delayed posting of DFA remittances, a common complaint it would seem.

"Double or triple whammy ang tumama sa akin," says Reyes. I say quadruple na, kasi five years na hindi pa rin nare-resolve! Ano ba ‘yan?!

***

With so many scams (the latest being the swine scam), alleged or otherwise, that have plagued and continue to plague Ms. Gloria Arroyo’s regime, it might as well be called a regime of scumbags. (Pun intended.) But, I’m sure there are exceptions, rare though they may be.

The Fourth Edition of American Heritage Dictionary defines "scumbag" as slang for "a person regarded as despicable."

***

The Supreme Court (SC) is unnecessarily holding the nation’s future in abeyance by taking too much time deciding on the Senate’s motion for reconsideration of its decision on former NEDA director general Romulo Neri’s petition to uphold Ms. Arroyo’s claim of executive privilege on three crucial questions regarding the "scamdalous" ZTE-NBN deal.

The SC required Neri and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to comment on the Senate motion within 10 working days. After that, the Senate would be required to reply to Neri’s and the OSG’s comments within another 10 working days.

I don’t think either side needs 10 working days to reply to the other’s comments, do you?

***

She aspires and, in fact, spends government funds, to become a member of the highly formal, sedate and prestigious International Court of Justice (ICJ).

But she shoots her mouth off in public like a loose cannon. That she tries to redeem herself afterward by claiming she is just making "pun" or by apologizing for her silly outbursts do not detract from the fact that people are asking: "If she is elected to the ICJ, will she bring honor and prestige to the Filipino people? What guarantee do we have that she would not behave similarly in the ICJ?"

I am referring, of course, to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Last week, she called her fellow-legislators in the House "tarantado" and some of her colleagues in the Senate as having a mindset based on "fear and ignorance." And who could forget her statement accusing the Chinese of inventing corruption? Hay, naku!

***

The people of Paraguay now have Fernando Lugo, a "suspended" Catholic bishop, as president

Soon, hopefully in my lifetime, we will have a "suspended" Catholic priest as president – Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio, governor of Pampanga.

Which reminds me – I wonder what action has been taken, if any, against the father-and-son tandem of Lito and Mark Lapid, former governors of Pampanga, for the rather obvious mismanagement of the quarrying activities in that province during their tenure.

***

Malaysia has reportedly decided to withdraw its contingent in the International Monitoring Team (IMT) that was supposed to monitor the cease-fire between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF). Brunei has indicated it will follow suit.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim reportedly said that the decision was due to the lack of progress in the peace talks between Manila and the MILF.

I personally believe that the reason for the withdrawal lies elsewhere. I have said it before and I will say it again, and again. More than anyone, Malaysia knows that it would not be in her interest for the Philippines to finally settle its secessionist and other problems in Mindanao .

A peaceful and prosperous Mindanao would mean a more confident and stronger Philip pines reviving and pursuing its Sabah claim which came under the spotlight once again because of the controversy brought about by the debate on the country’s baselines, triggered by the questionable Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) concluded by the Arroyo regime with China and Vietnam in the Spratlys.

So, if you were Malaysia , would you honestly want to help bring about a resolution to the Mindanao problem? I wouldn’t.

***

Speaking of the Spratlys, almost everybody believes that the reason Ms. Arroyo wants the bill defining the baselines of the Philippines as passed by the House changed is because she had made a commitment to China . No one, much less she, will ever admit to that for that would be tantamount to treason.

I say let the Cuenco version pass. If China or any other claimant has a problem with that, they can always simply ignore our baselines, or take us to court, like the ICJ. (If ever that should come to pass, would Miriam’s presence in the ICJ, if she wins, be an asset to us, given her position – Ms. Arroyo’s actually – on the baselines bills? Just a thought.)

Acting Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales says it could mean war with China . He’s way off the mark. It shows his ignorance of foreign affairs. I suggest he should just stick to interpreting and implementing the laws more faithfully than he has so far been doing for his boss.

***

Today is the first day of the second year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

His mother, Edita, said over the weekend that she would kneel down before Ms. Arroyo to find Jonas.

"What is a mother’s pride? I will kneel down before her if I have to," she said.

The question is how Ms. Arroyo would react. I just can’t help being reminded of the time she "lionized" retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan during one of her State of the Nation addresses.