‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap?

WE have two e-mails about government offices. The writers ask to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs.

The first is from the Government Service Insurance system (GSIS) who reports: "We at GSIS are one in saying that ex-PGM Winston Garcia’s 9+ year’s term at GSIS was corrupt, dictatorial and highly politicized. To be fair, however, he left behind as of June 2010, a reserve of P541 billion plus an unassigned surplus of P38 billion (both unaudited). In the first 4 months of 2010, GSIS registered a 10% growth in net income or about P18.5 billion.

"That being said, it was a welcome relief that Garcia was replaced by new PGM Robert G. Vergara whose resume and reputation are quite impressive. We at GSIS had every reason to be hopeful that we would be led by a professional manager.

"However, barely on his first month here at GSIS, the bubble immediately burst. Here are the facts: The new PGM arrives at his office at 7 a.m. or earlier and stays until 9:30 p.m. or later, Mondays thru Fridays. Impressive? Not at all. All day long, his two giant computer screens ticker the stocks he trades, and the funds he manages, not for the GSIS, but for his HK Firm Lionhart. He takes calls and issues orders, all day long, on the stocks he trades, and the funds he manages, not for the GSIS, but for his HK Firm Lionhart. Yes, he has taken on the job as PGM of GSIS, but continues to perform the duties of Managing Director of Lionhart, HK, despite his claim that he has completely divested from Lionhart. How do I know these? We have eight members of the KMG (Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GSIS) who are assigned to the Office of the PGM.

"On at least three occasions, the PGM was at meetings with senior officers of GSIS but had to excuse himself because he had to take ‘important calls’. We, the senior officers just looked at each other in disgust when we all overheard the new PGM on those occasions giving directions on fund and asset mixes, obviously for Lionhart and not for GSIS. The senior officers know the fund managers of GSIS, both foreign and local, that is why we are very sure that the new PGM was not giving directions with regard to GSIS investments, but for his private concerns."

There are other horror tales in the letter on even more serious matters.

I publicize this in the hope that PNoy whose successful mantra in the elections was "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap" looks into even just still rumors of possible corruption, which could undermine all the good things he wants to do for his country.

***

My other email explains how "Trickle-down Corruption" works at the Customs and Immigration bureaus. I wrote about the "overtime" that these bureaus extract from the airlines and how, since the airlines have stopped paying, the personnel processing the airlines’ passengers have become sparse.

I am told that many are actually told to keep away by their superiors. The way that the "overtime" collection works is that the higher-ups at the airport receive the money in bulk based on a list of personnel on "overtime" on the hour that the aircraft lands or takes off. Those at the top then take their cut and distribute the remain to the workers who did the "overtime". 

There is a strong suspicion among the government employees that even those not on overtime are included in the list to increase the money being charged the airline. But, of course, those not on "overtime" do not receive anything. In fact, some actually ask to be excluded from the list submitted to the airlines. They suspect, however, that their names are sill on the "overtime" list.

The airlines should maybe ask the employees themselves whether, in fact, they received their "overtime" pay! According to the e-mailers the airlines will be surprised that many whose names and signatures are on the list as having received the amounts after their names, never received anything.

The higher-ups at the airport receive 2 to 10 percent for themselves. Everyone else needs to ask for a renewal to be included in the "overtime" list which renewal is good only for 90 days. If you want to continue to receive the "overtime" money minus the deductions for the higher-ups, you apply again after the ninety days. Yet, the suspicion is that the list has more names than those on actual "overtime."

Why is the word overtime enclosed in quotation marks? Because when one works a night shift, it is not "overtime," is it?

Trickle-down Economics or the Trickle-down theory believes that if you give tax breaks to the top – businesses and people –this will benefit the rest of the population. Apparently, what we have at our airports is "trickle-down corruption," which the Court of Appeals has ruled illegal but which our government is thinking of extracting instead from the incoming and outgoing passengers themselves. Why should we do that when what we have here is clearly a form of corruption.

Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap?

***

George Collins, president of the Gold Tee Golf Club Association, Inc., one of the oldest sanctioned golfers’ clubs recognized by the Veterans Golf Club at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (North Avenue and Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City) announces its charitable "Golf Tournament for a Cause." Tee-off is between 7:30 and 9 a.m. tomorrow, November 9, Tuesday.Beneficiaries are the Children’s Orthopedic Department and one other Ward (via the PGH Foundation) specializing in juvenile arthritis and lupus – both at Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Both wards are for indigent children and are in constant need of additional support from the general public.

George says that the financial goal is to raise and turn over P100,000 to support each of these wards. Gold Tee Golfers are currently just a bit over 50% towards that goal.

Tournament fees for Super Lolos (over 80) is only P800; slightly higher for the younger players. There is a P10,000 hole-in-one prize and an LCD TV as top raffle prize.

source : http://www.malaya.com.ph/11082010/edducky.html