BAGUIO CITY – The city legislative body approved a resolution adopting the Philippines Councilor’s League (PCL) National Resolution No. 1, series of 2020 entitled ‘Resolution Requesting the Support and Endorsement of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) on Allowing Voluntary Contribution of Elected Officials Who have Completed Nine Years of Service.’
The resolution authored by all members of the City Council states it is just and reasonable to allow the elected officials who have served for a maximum of 3 terms to be given the option to make voluntary contributions to complete the 15-year minimum requirement to qualify for the monthly pension upon their retirement from government service.
Earlier, the PCL unanimously adopted Resolution No. 1, series of 2020 which requested the support and endorsement of the State-owned GSIS in allowing voluntary contribution of elected officials who have completed 9 years of service for them to be able to complete the 15-year requirement that will assure them of pension with the State insurance corporation, especially when they will no longer render service to the government.
Commonwealth Act No. 186, otherwise known as “An Act to Create and Establish a Government Service Insurance System, to Provide for its Administration, and to Appropriate the Necessary Funds Thereof” and Republic Act (RA) known as “An Act Amending Presidential Decree No. 1146, as Amended, Expanding and Increasing the Coverage and Benefits of the Government Service Insurance system, Instituting Reforms Therein and for Other Purposes” were enacted to provide a defined social security and financial benefit scheme to all government employees and their qualified dependents in forms of life insurance, retirement, separation, compensation benefits and loan assistance privileges.
The resolution notes it is a settled policy of the GSIS that benefits shall be payable to members who have rendered at least 15 years of service only.
However, city legislators claim the aforesaid policy unjustly discriminates an elected official whose maximum term allowed by law is only 9 years from the social security and financial benefit scheme, thus, their contributions will be rendered useless considering their failure to meet the minimum years of government service.
According to the PCL National resolution, in order to suppress negative emotions brought about by uncertainties during sickness, accidents or loss, the said insurance coverage may safeguard the bereaved family through a stable financial support, hence, emphasizing the role GSIS performs to the government employees, including city elected officials.
The PCL is the association of all elected councilors in the country with more or less 17,000 members located in the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao wherein it aspires to provide added benefits on medical, death, calamity to its members as well as unify for certain advocacy programs beneficial to the communities that they serve.
On the other hand, RA 7160 or the City Government Code of the Philippines, defined the term of elected city officials, except the barangay officials, to 3 years and no such official shall serve for more than 3 consecutive terms limiting the years of service of elected officials to a maximum of 9 years which include the elected councilors in the country.
By Dexter A. See
