GSIS MEMBERS PROTEST IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIFIED MULTI-PURPOSE ID

Submitted by courage_phil on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 01:26.

Employees from various government
agencies today picketed the GSIS office in Quezon City to denounce the proposed
Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) which will be adopted by the Government Service
Insurance System (GSIS), the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Home Development Mutual Fund
(Pag-IBIG) this March. The UMID is in response to Arroyo’s Executive Order 420,
issued in April 2005, directing all government agencies to harmonize their identification
systems.

 

During the protest action, the
Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees
expressed that the UMID will facilitate the full implementation  of the National ID System which was already
junked by the Supreme Court during the Ramos Administration.

 

Arroyo’s persistence in realizing a
National ID System has conveyed an alarming signal, said COURAGE
Secretary-General Santi Dasmariñas, Jr. “The High Court has already ruled that
this is unconstitutional but the Arroyo administration has circumvented the
decision through an EO. Given that the present regime is notorious for illegal
arrests and other forms of poltical harassment, we fear that this will further
open the floodgates for potential human rights violations.”

 

Dasmariñas also pointed out that the
UMID will not resolve the inefficient services that have perpetually plagued
GSIS members. “Will this reduce the delays in the posting of our contributions
and loan payments? Will this answer the discrepancies in our premium and
payment records? Will this expedite the processing of our loan applications?
Will this augment our benefits and pension? If not, we do not see any
compelling point in implementing such project. Our issues cannot be addressed
by a mere ID replacement. As stakeholders, the GSIS management should have
consulted us on this matter first,” added Dasmariñas.

 

The leader also rebuffed the claim
that there will zero cost for the agency, saying that the GSIS funds belong neither
to the GSIS management nor to the Arroyo government. “While we continue to
endure the minimal benefits that we get from the state pension fund, a
staggering P270 million will be earmarked for this project. Our hard-earned
contributions will once again be spent on another useless venture.

 

“We are also worried that this
multi-milliion project will be implemented at the height of the election
campaign. Our GSIS funds have long been a business enterprise for Mrs. Arroyo.
It is not simply a coincidence that they will simultaneously carry out the UMID
and the termination of the Survivorship Pension Fund this March, with barely a
few months before the election and the end of Arroyo’s term. If we allow this
to happen, the funds that came from our blood and sweat will be diverted to Mrs.
Arroyo’s bank account. It is unacceptable to us that our money will be used to
finance her congressional bid and the electoral campaign of other
administration candidates,” added Dasmariñas.

 

The militant government employees
vowed to oppose the UMID and even the full implementation of a National ID
System. They are set to stage a rally at the GSIS main office in Pasay City on
March 15, the initial target for the launching of the UMID. #