Ombudsman asked to probe alleged DepEd anomaly

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales was asked to investigate alleged anomalies involving billions of pesos in premium contributions that the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) have not remitted to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

In a letter to Morales dated Sept. 17, 2012, Domingo Alidon, Department of Education National Employees Union (DepEd-NEU) national president, said billions of pesos of premium contributions deducted from their salaries and the salaries of 800,000 active and retired teachers and employees from 1997 to 2010 were not remitted to GSIS for 13-years.

“As the biggest rank-and-file non-teaching union in the government bureaucracy that is accredited by the Civil Service Commission, we in the DepEd-NEU strongly condemn what could possibly be the biggest and longest-running scam in the DepEd involving billions of pesos,” read the letter.

“Madam Ombudsman, please go after those responsible for this scam and if possible, heads should roll in the DepEd, Land Bank of the Philippines and GSIS. Those responsible have been robbing us for more than 13 years and they have successfully kept it hidden during this period, possibly through collusion.”

Alidon said the funds were confirmed missing when the Department of Budget and Management only assumed payment of the employer’s share of premium contributions for the period 1997 to 2010 in a tripartite agreement on Sept. 9, 2012 for the settlement of arrearages of more than P8 billion in GSIS premium contributions.

“We want to know where our monies went and who are responsible for their non-remittance to GSIS,” read the letter.

Alidon said the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation should include DepEd secretaries from Ricardo Gloria (August 1994 to December 1997), Erlinda Pefianco (January 1998 to June 1998), Bro. Andrew Gonzalez (July 1998 to January 2001), Raul Roco (February 2001 to August 2002), Edilberto de Jesus (September 2002 to July 2004), Florencio Abad (July 2004 to July 2005), Ramon Bacani (July 2005 to September 2005), Fe Hidalgo (September 2005 to July 2006), Jesli Lapus (July 2006 to March 2010), and Mona Valisno (March 2010 to June 30, 2010).

“Branch managers of the Land Bank of the Philippines who took charge of DepEd payroll services should also be included in the investigation,” read the letter.

“They should explain why they released the funds and where the funds for the deducted premium contributions went.”

Alidon said other DepEd payroll and systems officials should also be investigated and made to explain why the personal share of the premium contributions were deducted but were never received by GSIS.

“Even GSIS officials under then president and general manager Winston Garcia who were supposed to take charge of collecting and recording the remittances from DepEd from 1997 to 2010 should be investigated,” he said.