Workers to launch protests vs pension hike veto

MANILA, Philippines – Workers are gearing up for simultaneous protest actions nationwide to pressure lawmakers to override the veto and reverse President Aquino’s rejection of the proposed P2,000 increase in monthly pension of retired members of the Social Security System (SSS).

Roger Soluta, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) vice chair, said the Senate and House should do everything in their power to implement the P2,000 pension hike for SSS pensioners.

Soluta said KMU plans to stage protest actions in front of SSS offices nationwide, in the Senate and House of Reprsentatives and in areas frequented by SSS pensioners and their families in the coming days.

He said the compromise proposal of a P500 or P1,000 hike in the monthly pensions is unacceptable and only angered pensioners, senior citizens, their families and also the workers.

KMU members joined SSS pensioners and their families in staging a protest yesterday.

“Do we want a P500 or a P1,000 pension hike? We want a P2,000 pension hike. We are calling on Congress to override Aquino’s veto. We are calling on Aquino to make an executive action. We will fight in every front so that pensioners will get a P2,000 hike,” Soluta said.

He said the compromise is being floated by Aquino’s allies in an attempt to appease the public’s growing anger over Aquino’s veto of the proposed hike, which is now being used by many sectors as a basis for calling for “zero votes” for Aquino’s anointed presidential aspirant Manuel Roxas II and his running mate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

“We have to continue fighting for P2,000 pension hike. These promises are being dangled not because these politicians really care for pensioners and would-be pensioners. They fear that their cheating won’t become credible because calls for zero votes are getting louder,” he said.

Online petition

Retired engineer Mon Ramirez has started an online petition urging congressmen and senators to override the presidential veto of the bill that seeks to grant a P2,000 increase in monthly pension of the SSS.

In a Change.org petition (http://chn.ge/1PkFRLm), Ramirez disputed the claim of President Aquino that the fund life of SSS will be shortened should the pension increase be implemented.

Ramirez noted that the agency should improve its collection efficiency rate, which he said is only at 38 percent.

“If we can improve it by one third, there will be an additional P40 billion collection, which is more than the estimated P26 billion deficit (if the pension increase is implemented),” said Ramirez.

In his veto message, the President said the increase would require the SSS to shell out an additional P56 billion, resulting in around P16 billion to P26 billion deficit every year.

Aquino warned that the only way to address this deficit is to tap into the reserve funds, which would decrease the fund life to 2029, increase the collection rate of active members, or get government subsidy, which will reduce the budget for other social services of active SSS members.

Ramirez said SSS could address the deficit by improving its collection efficiency rate.