Palace says P1-B GSIS check turned over to treasury
07/17/2008 | 10:22 PM
MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday said that the P1-billion check remitted by Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) general manager Winston to Malacañang in 2004 has been turned over to the National Treasury for proper disbursement.
"Kasama sa revenues ang government dividends. Dibidendo iyun, pumasok yun sa Treasury, iyun simple," Arroyo said in an iterview over radio DzBB.
This was echoed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who said that GSIS check with OR No. 419-7509 had been turned over to the national treasury.
Ermita added the the amended charges of graft against Garcia could just be part of a black propoganda against him after his brush in with the Manila Electric Company whom the GSIS chief had accused of mismanagement.
Their remarks came two days after a group of government employees filed before the Office of the Ombudsman a complaint of graft and corruption against Garcia and several other GSIS officials.
The group’s lawyer, Alfred Velasco – who is the former head of the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GSIS - said their complaint stemmed from the P1 billion of unassigned surplus of the Government Insurance Fund that the GSIS remitted to the Office of the President four years ago.
On Dec. 6, 2004, the GSIS board of trustees, where Garcia stood as the vice chairman, passed a resolution approving the said P1 billion transfer of fund, Velasco said.
"Ito ay kinukwestiyon namin. Habang ang ibang members ng GSIS ay naghihirap, yung iba nag-reretire na walang nakukuha, ay ganun ganun na lang ang pagbibigay ni Garcia sa Malacañang," Velasco said in a radio interview.
Aside from Garcia, also named as respondents were GSIS board of trustees chairman Bernardino Abes; and members Victoria Ablan, Jesse Andres, Mario Ramirez, Esperanza Ocampo, Reynaldo Palmiery, Alejandro Roces, Jesus Santos, and Nita Javier.
The former GSIS employee union head also asked for the preventive suspension of the GSIS officials named in the charge sheet to ensure that documents that can be used in the case would remain intact.
According to Velasco, Garcia had been saying in the past that the money was meant as a donation to the administration during the time the Philippines was in a “fiscal crisis" in 2004.
The complainants were also asking Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to inhibit from the case since she was the presidential legal counsel at the time the “illegal diversion" of GSIS funds was coursed to the Palace. - GMANews.TV
"Kasama sa revenues ang government dividends. Dibidendo iyun, pumasok yun sa Treasury, iyun simple," Arroyo said in an iterview over radio DzBB.
This was echoed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who said that GSIS check with OR No. 419-7509 had been turned over to the national treasury.
Ermita added the the amended charges of graft against Garcia could just be part of a black propoganda against him after his brush in with the Manila Electric Company whom the GSIS chief had accused of mismanagement.
Their remarks came two days after a group of government employees filed before the Office of the Ombudsman a complaint of graft and corruption against Garcia and several other GSIS officials.
The group’s lawyer, Alfred Velasco – who is the former head of the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GSIS - said their complaint stemmed from the P1 billion of unassigned surplus of the Government Insurance Fund that the GSIS remitted to the Office of the President four years ago.
On Dec. 6, 2004, the GSIS board of trustees, where Garcia stood as the vice chairman, passed a resolution approving the said P1 billion transfer of fund, Velasco said.
"Ito ay kinukwestiyon namin. Habang ang ibang members ng GSIS ay naghihirap, yung iba nag-reretire na walang nakukuha, ay ganun ganun na lang ang pagbibigay ni Garcia sa Malacañang," Velasco said in a radio interview.
Aside from Garcia, also named as respondents were GSIS board of trustees chairman Bernardino Abes; and members Victoria Ablan, Jesse Andres, Mario Ramirez, Esperanza Ocampo, Reynaldo Palmiery, Alejandro Roces, Jesus Santos, and Nita Javier.
The former GSIS employee union head also asked for the preventive suspension of the GSIS officials named in the charge sheet to ensure that documents that can be used in the case would remain intact.
According to Velasco, Garcia had been saying in the past that the money was meant as a donation to the administration during the time the Philippines was in a “fiscal crisis" in 2004.
The complainants were also asking Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to inhibit from the case since she was the presidential legal counsel at the time the “illegal diversion" of GSIS funds was coursed to the Palace. - GMANews.TV
