In a bid to solidify the campaign to extend “malasakit” (compassion) to around two million Social Security System retirees, senatorial candidate Rep. Martin Romualdez of Leyte filed a resolution pressing the state-pension fund to justify its opposition to efforts in Congress to override the presidential veto on the proposed P2,000 monthly increase in the pension of senior citizens.
Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, filed House Resolution 2638 urging the SSS to disclose its current and real financial standing.
“To date, the SSS has not released any documentary basis or proof to support the supposed financial incapability and possible bankruptcy,” Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc and a three-term congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, said Romualdez in filing the resolution.
Romualdez was among the 75 lawmakers who co-authored the resolution of Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares seeking to override the presidential veto on House Bill 5842 that was by the House of Representatives in June 2015 and was adopted in toto by the Senate last November.
“These alibis come on the heels of multi-million salaries and bonuses to top SSS officials and exposes of the System’s receivables and actual funds,” Romualdez, shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago who are all running for president, said.
Romualdez said the SSS must be able to provide Congress and the Filipino people cogent reasons that will justify its claims of financial incapability and possible bankruptcy as early as 2029.
“The continued failure of the SSS to come out in public with their financial records could not mean anything else but its refusal to grant the P2,000 monthly pension despite the fact that it will be a big help in easing the plight of its pensioners,” Romualdez stressed, even as he lamented the present P1,000 to P1,200 minimum SSS pension since 1997.
Earlier, Romualdez, assured the public of his “malasakit” battle for Congress to override the presidential veto on the matter will continue when Congress resumes session on May 23, 2016.
Romualdez vowed to remain steadfast in the fight to champion his advocacy to provide SSS members, especially the pensioners, by extending increase on their monthly pension when Congress resumes on May 23 for the presidential canvassing where it will convene as a national board of canvassers for the presidential elections.
“The battle to give ‘malasakit’ to our SSS members is not yet over because the move to override the presidential veto remains. Our collective hope of having it put to a vote is not fading because we feel this is just and right. All we need is to show a strong political will with our sincere desire to serve public interest,” Romualdez pointed out.
“We have to continue the fight to override the presidential veto because this is the most patriotic thing to do. Whatever the outcome will be, the people will see that Congress has tried its very best to champion their interests and that’s very important,” Romualdez stressed.