Iloilo mayor indicted over unremitted GSIS, Pag-IBIG funds

MANILA, Philippines -  A municipal mayor in Iloilo and her treasurer have been indicted for allegedly failing to remit P6 million in employees’ contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG.

In a case filed recently with the Sandiganbayan, Rosario Fernandez of San Enrique town and Imelda Celebrar were charged with 16 counts of violation of Republic Act 8291 or the GSIS Act and 11 counts of RA 9979 or the Pag-IBIG Fund Law.

The laws mandate heads of government offices to remit the contributions of officials and employees within 30 days from the due date.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Fernandez and Celebrar did not remit the employees’ GSIS contributions amounting to P5.3 million in 2011 and 2012.

The respondents also allegedly failed to remit a total of P620,000 to the state’s housing agency for the same period.

Anti-graft investigators found sufficient grounds to charge Fernandez and Celebrar with graft.

The ombudsman set Fernandez and Celebrar’s bail at P292,000 each.

Fernandez was reelected in the May 2016 elections.