3 GSIS execs dismissed for grave misconduct

Three top executives of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) were ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman yesterday for grave misconduct.

Ordered dismissed were Alex Valencerina, GSIS vice president of Technical Services Group; Amalio Mallari Sr., vice president of the Housing and Real Property Development Group; and Fernando Campana, vice president, London Representative Office International Operations.

The case against the three officials stemmed from the irregular issuance of a GSIS Surety Bond that forced the agency to pay off the $9.3-million loan of Ecobel Land Inc.

Ecobel, a local real estate developer, was granted the loan to finance the construction of its tower condominium project on March 11, 1998.

The Ombudsman said Valencerina and Mallari "had strongly recommended" the issuance of the bond amid the insufficient collateral posted by Ecobel in its loan application.

Campana, for his part, had issued a certification vouching for the bond’s authenticity even after learning that Ecobel had been delinquent in paying its premiums, the Ombudsman said.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said her predecessor, Simeon Marcelo, had issued a decision holding the three GSIS officials liable for grave misconduct with the penalty of dismissal from the service along with other administrative liabilities.

Following Marcelo’s decision, the three GSIS executives filed separate motions for reconsideration but these were all denied, Gutierrez said.

The three officials elevated their case before the Court of Appeals, but only Valencerina was granted a 60-day temporary restraining order that expired last Jan. 21.

Gutierrez added there is no more legal impediment for the implementation of the dismissal order against the officials.

In a four-page order, Gutierrez directed GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia to implement the dismissal order against the three executives.

In a related development, President Arroyo ordered the inclusion of private individuals under the coverage of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) in its investigation of presidential appointees.

The President signed Executive Order 531 to strengthen the power of the PAGC to include investigating private individuals suspected of conniving with presidential appointees.

PAGC will be able to investigate presidential appointees with a salary grade of 26 or a position of assistant regional director and higher in any government agencies, including those in government-owned and -controlled corporations.

The new investigation coverage focuses on the conspiracy and connivance of civil servants with private individuals or firms for personal gain or to defraud the government. — Mike Frialde, Aurea Calica