Disabled GSIS pensioner pleads for help
Disabled GSIS pensioner pleads for help
Updated 03:21am (Mla time) Nov 19, 2004
By Neal Cruz
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the November 19, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
IS there a jinx haunting former President Corazon Aquino? Barely 11 months into her term as the country's president, 12 farmers picketing Malacañang were killed in the infamous "Mendiola Massacre." Four days ago, seven farmer-strikers were killed in what is now being billed as the "Hacienda Luisita Massacre." (The casualty number has gone up to 14 as of yesterday.) Neither of them is her fault; the fault lies with trigger-happy soldiers and policemen. But alas, her name and that of her family will always be associated with these tragedies.
Who sent the soldiers to Hacienda Luisita? Who gave the order to shoot? Who among them actually shot at the crowd? Were there infiltrators among the strikers?
These and a thousand and one other questions have to be answered satisfactorily by those assigned to investigate the incident.
* * *
When people lose faith in government institutions, when public officials don't listen to them and give them the runaround, they run for help to the media. But the media have no authority to force public officials to do their jobs. All they can do is to let the public know about the problem, the complaint, and hope something will be done about it.
Like other journalists, I get plenty of such appeals for help, and I write about those that I find meritorious as much as space permits. Still, some don't get the publicity. There's just not enough space for all of them.
But I think our public officials should attend to this SOS from an 81-year-old widow. She has suffered a stroke, is partially paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair. She used to be a professor of the University of the Philippines. She is now retired and survives on her pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Her plea for help has a certain urgency because her pension would be stopped next month if she fails to submit certain documents to the GSIS before Nov. 30. Her name is Mrs. Nenita U. Socrates, in case this rings a bell to certain GSIS employees or to General Manager Winston Garcia himself. She said she has written a letter to Garcia but, until now, she has not received any response, not even an acknowledgement; no help either, "not even just an advice on what to do," despite numerous follow-up phone calls.
She sent me a copy of the letter she sent to Garcia. In it, she acknowledged receipt of a letter from the GSIS main office telling her that she has no pensioner's identification card or that she has not renewed it if she already has one. "Enumerated in the letter were papers I had to accomplish and secure and personally take to the main office" at the reclamation area off Roxas Boulevad in Pasay City. Mrs. Socrates lives in Quezon City. She has until Nov. 30 to do all these; otherwise her pension would be stopped.
"I was flabbergasted," she wrote, "because I have been receiving my pension for the last 35 years without these requirements. Furthermore, this was the first time I heard of such requirements."
Because she was disabled, she said she called the main office to ask to be allowed to submit the required documents to the GSIS branch in Quezon City. She was given permission to do so.
She had to "move heaven and earth" to procure the needed documents and satisfy the GSIS requirements. "There is no one to help me," she said, "except my 55-year-old caregiver without whose help living is difficult for me, even dangerous. It is impossible for me to even feed myself.
"When all the requirements were met, I sent my caregiver to the GSIS, QC branch. She came home after spending more than four hours in that office, trying to submit those damn requirements to no avail. She was informed by one employee that she has to go to the main office; another [told her] that papers of pensioners were not being processed yet (but could not tell when it could be done). Still another guard advised her to join the kilometric line; many of those in the line said they had been there since three hours after midnight. Not one guard or personnel she approached could tell her what the line was for. Those in line gave different reasons for lining up, most to get an E-card, but none were trying to apply for a pensioner's ID. I tried personally phoning the main office but which is next to impossible."
She added: "I am aware many government offices are belatedly trying to initiate reforms which is commendable. But look at the confusion, displacement, disarray, loss of income, wasted hours, effort and money resulting in anger on the part of persons affected by such disorder. Why is it not possible for the office concerned, especially its head, to sit down and involve brilliant and efficient organizers to map out a plan that would make the execution of these reforms client-friendly and comfortable?"
What does the GSIS want her to do now? "Sit down at the curb of a street and ask for alms when my pension ceases?" she asked. "I cannot survive without my monthly pension especially because it will be withheld starting December, Christmastime. Please help me."
Let me summarize the problem: Mrs. Socrates has completed the documents the GSIS is asking from her. Since she is disabled and the main office is very far from her residence, she asked the GSIS if she may submit them to the Quezon City branch and was told she may. But when she sent her helper to the Quezon City branch to submit the documents, she was given the runaround. She wrote to Mr. Winston Garcia but has not gotten any reply.
She is now rather frantic because the GSIS has threatened to stop her pension starting next month if she does not submit the papers before Nov. 30. What should she do? Can anybody help her?
Updated 03:21am (Mla time) Nov 19, 2004
By Neal Cruz
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the November 19, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
IS there a jinx haunting former President Corazon Aquino? Barely 11 months into her term as the country's president, 12 farmers picketing Malacañang were killed in the infamous "Mendiola Massacre." Four days ago, seven farmer-strikers were killed in what is now being billed as the "Hacienda Luisita Massacre." (The casualty number has gone up to 14 as of yesterday.) Neither of them is her fault; the fault lies with trigger-happy soldiers and policemen. But alas, her name and that of her family will always be associated with these tragedies.
Who sent the soldiers to Hacienda Luisita? Who gave the order to shoot? Who among them actually shot at the crowd? Were there infiltrators among the strikers?
These and a thousand and one other questions have to be answered satisfactorily by those assigned to investigate the incident.
* * *
When people lose faith in government institutions, when public officials don't listen to them and give them the runaround, they run for help to the media. But the media have no authority to force public officials to do their jobs. All they can do is to let the public know about the problem, the complaint, and hope something will be done about it.
Like other journalists, I get plenty of such appeals for help, and I write about those that I find meritorious as much as space permits. Still, some don't get the publicity. There's just not enough space for all of them.
But I think our public officials should attend to this SOS from an 81-year-old widow. She has suffered a stroke, is partially paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair. She used to be a professor of the University of the Philippines. She is now retired and survives on her pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Her plea for help has a certain urgency because her pension would be stopped next month if she fails to submit certain documents to the GSIS before Nov. 30. Her name is Mrs. Nenita U. Socrates, in case this rings a bell to certain GSIS employees or to General Manager Winston Garcia himself. She said she has written a letter to Garcia but, until now, she has not received any response, not even an acknowledgement; no help either, "not even just an advice on what to do," despite numerous follow-up phone calls.
She sent me a copy of the letter she sent to Garcia. In it, she acknowledged receipt of a letter from the GSIS main office telling her that she has no pensioner's identification card or that she has not renewed it if she already has one. "Enumerated in the letter were papers I had to accomplish and secure and personally take to the main office" at the reclamation area off Roxas Boulevad in Pasay City. Mrs. Socrates lives in Quezon City. She has until Nov. 30 to do all these; otherwise her pension would be stopped.
"I was flabbergasted," she wrote, "because I have been receiving my pension for the last 35 years without these requirements. Furthermore, this was the first time I heard of such requirements."
Because she was disabled, she said she called the main office to ask to be allowed to submit the required documents to the GSIS branch in Quezon City. She was given permission to do so.
She had to "move heaven and earth" to procure the needed documents and satisfy the GSIS requirements. "There is no one to help me," she said, "except my 55-year-old caregiver without whose help living is difficult for me, even dangerous. It is impossible for me to even feed myself.
"When all the requirements were met, I sent my caregiver to the GSIS, QC branch. She came home after spending more than four hours in that office, trying to submit those damn requirements to no avail. She was informed by one employee that she has to go to the main office; another [told her] that papers of pensioners were not being processed yet (but could not tell when it could be done). Still another guard advised her to join the kilometric line; many of those in the line said they had been there since three hours after midnight. Not one guard or personnel she approached could tell her what the line was for. Those in line gave different reasons for lining up, most to get an E-card, but none were trying to apply for a pensioner's ID. I tried personally phoning the main office but which is next to impossible."
She added: "I am aware many government offices are belatedly trying to initiate reforms which is commendable. But look at the confusion, displacement, disarray, loss of income, wasted hours, effort and money resulting in anger on the part of persons affected by such disorder. Why is it not possible for the office concerned, especially its head, to sit down and involve brilliant and efficient organizers to map out a plan that would make the execution of these reforms client-friendly and comfortable?"
What does the GSIS want her to do now? "Sit down at the curb of a street and ask for alms when my pension ceases?" she asked. "I cannot survive without my monthly pension especially because it will be withheld starting December, Christmastime. Please help me."
Let me summarize the problem: Mrs. Socrates has completed the documents the GSIS is asking from her. Since she is disabled and the main office is very far from her residence, she asked the GSIS if she may submit them to the Quezon City branch and was told she may. But when she sent her helper to the Quezon City branch to submit the documents, she was given the runaround. She wrote to Mr. Winston Garcia but has not gotten any reply.
She is now rather frantic because the GSIS has threatened to stop her pension starting next month if she does not submit the papers before Nov. 30. What should she do? Can anybody help her?
posted by Dante at 3:21 AM
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