‘GSIS should allow elected officials, staff retirement fund’

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) should allow elected officials who have stepped down from office and their staff to continue paying their contributions to qualify for pensions when they retire, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday.

Pimentel highlighted what he said was the glaring disparity between the term limits of elected officials and the minimum requirement to qualify for the GSIS pensions equivalent to 15 years.

“I appeal for our local officials and their staff who have served nine years in government but cannot qualify for the pension program due to the 15-year minimum service requirement under Republic Act 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997),” Pimentel said.

“I am saddened to learn that there are so many elected officials and public servants holding temporary and co-terminus status on the national and local levels who would retire without a retirement fund and pension only because they have not met the 15-year minimum service requirement,” he said.

Section 13-A of RA 8291 states that a member who retires from the service shall be entitled to retirement benefits provided that he has rendered at least 15 years of service.

“That provision of RA 8291 is very unfair for government employees and elected officials who fall short of the minimum 15-year service required under the law,” he said.

The Constitution provides that local officials such as councilors, mayors, vice-mayors, governors, vice-governors and congressmen can only be elected for three consecutive terms or a total of nine years. Meanwhile, senators are elected nationwide by qualified voters to a six-year term and can serve for not more than two consecutive terms or a total of 12 years. The President and Vice President have a term of six years with no provision for reelection.

“Some of these officials and their staff even left their high-paying jobs in the private sector to join the government service… is that how the government rewards them for their service?” he said.

EDD GUMBAN Fire volunteers hold a motorcade along Manila’s main roads ahead of this year’s Fire Prevention Month. The government declared March as Fire Prevention Month because of the increase in fire incidents across the country during this period.