Duterte terminates SSS execs Valdez, La Viña

Social Security System (SSS) Chairman of the Board Amado Valdez (ROBINSON NIÑAL/ Presidential Photo)

Malacañang announced on Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte decided not to extend the term of Social Security System (SSS) chairman Amado Valdez and commissioner Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña.

At a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the terms of the two executives, who are serving on a holdover capacity, will not be renewed. Valdez and La Viña’s terms as SSS officials have expired on June 30, 2017.

Roque, citing the Office of the Executive Secretary’s letters addressed to the two SSS commissioners, did not give a reason for the termination of services.

Duterte appointed Valdez as the new SSS chairman in October 2016. Before serving in the commission, Valdez was a former dean of University of the East (UE) College of Law.

La Viña, on the other hand, was the social media director of Duterte’s presidential campaign.

The commission has recently been under fire after La Viña accused four high-ranking officials of illegal profiteering from stock trading using government funds.

The state pension fund conducted a probe into four executives: Equities Investment Division chief Reginald Candelaria, Equities Product Development head Ernesto Francisco Jr., Chief Actuary George Ongkeko Jr., and Executive Vice President Rizaldy Capulong.

Candelaria and Ongkeko have tendered their resignation while under investigation for their supposed involvement in the stock trading controversy. Meanwhile, the other two accused officials, Capulong and Francisco, have been moved to the Office of the President.