President wants peaceful, efficient SSS board—Roque

The Social Security System will be more efficient without quarreling among members of its board, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Tuesday.

Roque made this remark a day after President Rodrigo R. Duterte decided not to renew the appointments of SSS Chairman Amando Valdez and Commissioner Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña.

“Sa tingin ko, kaya pinalitan ’yan ni Presidente, ay dahil nakikita niya na mas magiging efficient ang SSS kung walang hidwaan sa board ng SSS [I think, the reason why the President replaced them, is because he can see that the SSS would be more efficient if there was no quarreling among its board members],” Roque said in a press conference in Tabuk, Kalinga.

Roque assured that operations at the SSS would continue even as the Palace has yet to find replacements for the two officials.

“Yung management ng SSS hindi nabago, patuloy naman ang trabaho diyan sa SSS [The management of the SSS has not changed, operations continue at the SSS],” he added.

Roque did not give any reason for Duterte’s decision not to renew

the appointments of the two SSS officials noting that it was a “presidential prerogative.”

Valdez and La Viña had served in the SSS in a holdover capacity.

The SSS was earlier embroiled in controversy after four of its executives were alleged to be involved in a stock trading mess.

La Viña earlier filed an administrative complaint against SSS Executive vice president for investments Rizaldy Capulong; equities investment division chief Reginald Candelaria; equities product development head Ernesto Francisco, Jr. and chief actuary George Ongkeko, Jr.

He accused the four for “serious dishonesty and grave misconduct” since some of them allegedly used SSS-accredited stock brokers for their own benefit.