Reply of SSS VP is a ‘nonresponse’

With all due respect, please allow me to react to the letter Marissu G. Bugante, vice president for public affairs of the Social Security System (“SSS benefits higher since January 2014,” Opinion, 4/7/14).

Bugante made that assertion in reply to Bernardo Peralta’s letter (“What, only 3 pension increases in 14 years?” Opinion, 3/11/14).

I realize—and I truly regret—that I may be sounding like a broken record on this issue. But I have to be. At least for the last time, in the interest of truth and social justice, as well as to forestall any outright or momentary interpretation of some readers that the one was squarely responding to the other. Of course, not!

As Bugante indicated, the additional benefits since January were for higher emergency and maternity loans which active members may avail of—well, needlessly emphasizing, in exchange for the higher premiums they had to pay also beginning this year. My plain common sense hastens to ask: Is it the thinking of the present SSS management that improvements in members’ benefits may only come from corresponding increases in their monthly premium contributions? And so, alas and alack! Is this why SSS retirees, who are no longer paying premiums, have not been granted any adjustment in their pension since 2007?

These questions certainly beg to be answered, given existing laws. For one, Section 8, Article XVI of the Constitution provides: “The State shall, from time to time, review to upgrade the pensions and other benefits due the retirees of both the government and the private sectors.” For another, Section 3(k) of Republic Act No. 9257 (Expanded Senior Citizens’ Act of 2003) has specifically this to say: “Retirement benefits of retirees from both the government and the private sectors shall be regularly reviewed to ensure their continuing responsiveness and sustainability and, to the extent practicable and feasible, shall be upgraded to be at par with the current scale enjoyed by those in actual service.”

And so, I hate to say this but I must:  Are this country’s laws enacted only to be taken for granted?  Or, is the present administration indeed deaf and insensitive—to be sure, the last one was not as much—to the SSS pensioners’ plight?

—RUDY L. CORONEL

rudycoronel2004@yahoo.com