Bayan Muna to hale SSS to SC over premium hike

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares: Seeking Supreme Court’s intervention. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Bayan Muna is planning to seek the high court’s intervention to stop the increase in the premium of Social Security System (SSS) this month unless the President acts on his own to freeze increase in monthly member contributions.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said that the SSS’ plan to raise its member contributions by 6  to 11 percentage points starting this month was “unconscionable” considering that it has at least P90-billion uncollected premiums it amassed as of 2010.

“It has no moral authority to collect more because it still has a lot more to collect. If they are saying that they are running low on funds, then why did they give out huge bonuses for themselves? They cannot claim lack of funds while at the same time giving themselves large bonuses,” said Colmenares in a statement.

Colmenares said that his group would seek a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court as a last resort if the President does not retract his backing of the SSS premium increase which he endorsed in his State of the Nation Address last year.

Colmenares likened the SSS members’ situation to the plight of the consumers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). “The SSS members and Meralco consumers are both captive markets who have no choice but to pay higher fees demanded by these institutions. Both groups have been victims of overcharging by the SSS and Meralco,” said Colmenares.

Colmenares said there was no pressing need for the premium increase in view of the SSS’ P345 billion in assets and yearly income of P23 billion. Instead of a premium increase, Colmenares said Bayan Muna has filed a bill seeking higher perks for members that he believed were within the financial resources of the SSS.