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Officials
of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will
face criminal charges from old-age pensioners here in
the province for compelling them to enroll in the E-Card
system.
Lawyers
Victor dela Serna, Oscar Glovasa and Danilo Bantugan
have
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DELA SERNA, GLOVASA, BANTOGAN |
offered
their legal services to retirement-pensioners who originally
wanted to file a class suit against GSIS president Winston Garcia
and the agency's directors and key officials.
Pensioners
have been opposing the implementation of the e-card due to
its impracticality especially for those who are in the towns
and those who are physically incapable of withdrawing their
monthly pensions through automated teller machines (ATM) which
are available only here in the city.
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The
three lawyers have agreed to assist the pensioners after
hearing the endless complaints from disgruntled retirees
who have decided to organize and set-up funds to defray
the legal and litigation expenses.
According
to Bantugan, one of the lawyers who was interviewed
over dyRD's "Pulso" yesterday, instead of
filing a class suit against the GSIS and its officials
a criminal case will instead be filed.
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He
bared that during an initial conference, the three lawyers
Dela Serna, Glovasa and Bantugan have agreed that a criminal
case is faster to prosecute than a class suit, which is a
civil case.
Filing
a class suit would require them to get authorizations from
the pensioners or a special power of attorney.
When
asked what are the possible criminal charges to be filed,
Bantugan said they are still deciding on unjust vexation,
estafa or illegal extortion since the pensioners are "forced"
to enroll in the e-card system and deposit their monthly payments
in a privately owned bank.
Some
pensioners who are already using the e-card have complained
over dyRD's radio programs that Unionbank, the depository
of their monthly pension, are frequently offline. Most of
the pensioners have to travel from the towns to withdraw their
pension at ATMs here.
It
may be recalled that GSIS Bohol promised sometime in August
last year that they will visit bedridden pensioners in the
towns in order to validate their records so that they will
continue to receive their monthly checks through mail.
However,
GSIS-Bohol failed to perform their assurance to disabled pensioners
until the time when they have to suspend sending their checks
last month.
Until
now, it is not clear when these old-age and physically disabled
pensioners will again receive their monthly payments where
they largely get their daily provision for food and medicines.
Not
even an intervention from Gov. Erico Aumentado through Pres.
Gloria Arroyo has resolved the retirees' dilemma.
Dela
Serna and Glovasa are both bar topnotchers while Bantugan
serves as city councilor together with Glovasa.
The
lawyers advised pensioners to visit their offices where paralegals
will assist them in executing their affidavits. (Kit Bagaipo)
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