STATE WORKERS WARY ON NEW GSIS CHAIR, PRESS FOR GARCIA’S REPLACEMENT AND PROSECUTION

Submitted by courage_phil on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 12:38.

The
national center of government employees, COURAGE, today said the appointment of
Daniel “Bitay” Lacson as the new Government Service and Insurance System
Chairman begets more uncertainties for the 1.5 million members of the state-run
pension fund rather than the change President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has promised.

 

In
a reaction to the breaking news, COURAGE National President Ferdinand Gaite
said

Lacson
who is a former Negros Occidental Governor is a politician and reportedly one
of those who led the campaign for Aquino-Roxas tandem in Negros. “The fund
owners are up against their pension fund being run by politicians based on
experiences in the past where the fund is being siphoned to bankroll election
campaigns . The appointment smacks of political patronage and GSIS Chairmanship
as a payback is a hefty one. We we’re hoping the interest of the state workers
is the primordial concern and not politics”. 
 

 

Gaite
added that the employees are wondering why it’s taking so long for President Aquino
to replace GSIS President and General Manager Winston Garcia. “It’s been 15
days and while most of the Secretaries and other Heads of Agencies were already
replaced with Aquino’s appointees, Garcia is still on his post. We heard that
Garcia is pulling all strings to be retained”. A situation they will not allow,
stressed Gaite.

 

“But
beyond replacing Garcia, we are urging President Aquino to prosecute him and
make him account for his abuses and fund mismanagement”.

 

COURAGE
announced government employees from various agencies will stage a rally
tomorrow at the GSIS Quezon City Branch to dramatize their concerns. #