Caloocan mayor charged for nonremittance of GSIS contributions

Caloocan Vice Mayor Edgar Erice has filed a complaint against Mayor Enrico Echiverri and three other government officials for allegedly not remitting the contributions of city employees amounting to more than P340 million to the Government Service Insurance System.

Erice, who lodged the complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday, accused the mayor, city treasurer Evelina Garma, budget officer Jesusa Garcia and city accountant Edna Centeno, of violating Republic Acts 8291 and 3019, known as the GSIS Act of 1997 and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, respectively.

Under RA 8291, the mayor, city treasurer, budget officer and city accountant are in charge of the collection of premium contributions, loan amortizations and other accounts due the GSIS, which should be remitted within 30 days the same are due and demanded by the agency.

In his eight-page complaint, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer, Erice said the personal shares of the employees had not been remitted from July 1997 to December 2002, and from January 2007 to Dec. 31, 2010, according to GSIS President and General Manager Robert Vergara.

The failure to remit the amounts within the specified period prompted the GSIS to impose on the local government interest fees reaching P260,794,57.43 in December, Erice said.

This forced the vice mayor to make written demands to Echiverri, Garma and Centeno in January for them to settle the obligations.

Erice said that up to now, however, his demand has been ignored.

“It is appalling that due to the refusal of Mayor Echiverri to remit the sufficient amount … the rights and privileges of the employees as members of the GSIS have been unduly prejudiced and undermined,” the vice mayor said.