CA stops arrest order for GSIS board members

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals issued last Friday a temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the implementation of indirect contempt of court and the arrest warrant issued by a Pasig court against the members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) board of trustees.

The GSIS today said the appelate court TRO effectively prevented the execution of the indirect contempt order and warrant of arrest against the GSIS board issued last March 31 by Judge Rolando G. Mislang of RTC Branch 167, Pasig.

The arrest warrant against the GSIS board of trustees was based on a petition for indirect contempt filed by a certain Antonio Vilar and Harold Cuevas last March 14.

The petition, which Mislang granted, claimed that the GSIS trustees violated a Pasig court-issued TRO against the land case settlement between the GSIS and an 82-year-old widow named Rosario Santiago.

But the CA, in issuing its TRO against Mislang’s order, said: “Respondent court not only failed to abide by the requirement of fixing the bail bond but has also made petitioner’s arrest immediately executory. This is clearly in violation of petitioners’ rights.”

The CA also gave the private respondents Vilar and Cuevas and the respondent Court (Pasig RTC Branch 167) 10 days from receipt of the TRO to file their comments and “to show cause why the TRO should be lifted.”

GSIS president and general manager Robert G. Vergara welcomed the Court of Appeals action. He also assured GSIS members that despite these developments the state pension fund operates as usual.

“We would like to reassure our stakeholders that, as always, your board of trustees is acting in your best interest to ensure the continuing stability of your pension fund,” Vergara said.

Vergara also thanked the Department of Finance, oversight agency of the GSIS, for expressing its “unwavering commitment to provide full support to the system and its trustees.”

Vergara was refering to the statement issued by Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima published in the Official Gazette website, which read: “It is highly unfortunate that the members of the newly constituted board of directors of the Government Service Insurance System, who are merely complying with a now final and executory decision of the Supreme Court, are now caught between contending claimants.”

It added: “The Department of Finance supports the GSIS board in its efforts to finally bring this litigation to a complete end.”