Fraudulent pension claims cost GSIS P1.6-B

FILE (Photo: Cheng Ilagan/Philippine Canadian Inquirer)

MANILA — Fraudulent collections of pensions has cost state pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) about PHP1.6 billion, thus, the implementation of a three-month revalidation for pensioners 79 years old and below to update the list.

In a briefing Tuesday, GSIS President and General Manager Clint Aranas said it was found out that about 48,843 pensioners still receive pensions even if they have already died.

He, thus, called on pensioners to avail of the Annual Pensioners’ Information Revalidation (APIR) and appear on the various GSIS offices, use the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS) or take advantage of the caravans set from March 23 to June 30, 2018 nationwide to activate their status and continue receiving pensions.

Pensioners who are totally disabled, those who are 80 years old and above, those with medical condition but have legal guardians who are not survivorship pensioners are excluded to appear for revalidation and may instead request for home visitation from GSIS.

Also excluded to appear for revalidation are those who live overseas and in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

After the three-month revalidation period, pensioners are required to renew their status during their birth month.

Aranas said they need to do something to protect GSIS’ funds for the benefit of all its members.

He said the accumulated losses may have been due to syndicated actions or personal decisions of family members.

“It is to our loss if we don’t do our job,” he said, citing that the fraudulent transactions transpired because families of the pensioners did not or failed to report about the death of the GSIS members.

He placed overpayment to around 10-20 percent of the total pensioners while GSIS Senior Vice President for National Capital Region (NCR) Nora Saludares, during the same briefing, said they expect about 363,000 pensioners 79 years old and below to personally appear during the revalidation period.

Collection of the overpayment may be done once the families of the dead pensioners report to GSIS and collect death benefits while those who did misrepresentation will be filed criminal charges such as estafa.

Saludares clarified that they will collect penalties from the surviving spouse if they reported the death of the GSIS member.

She also cited that pensions of those who failed to appear during the revalidation period will not be automatically suspended.

“Survivorship benefit for spouse stops when he or she remarries or co-habits,” she added.