NR0926:PGMA coddling Winston Garcia

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
News Release September 26, 2004
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Celphone number 09213907362
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Fire GSIS' Garcia for abusing his powers as GSIS president, general-manager;
PGMA should be chided for coddling, protecting her favorite

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran in a presscon this morning in Quezon
City challenged Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and
General manager Winston Garcia to face the countless accusations against him
and not hide behind his main patron and protector Pres. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. He said that Garcia maintains faux bravery in the face of the
avalanche of corruption and office mismanagement and other executive abuses
because he knows he is PGMA' s favorite. He said that apart from mismanaging
the GSIS and swindling millions of government employees of their rightful
benefits, Garcia is also a notorious violator of employee rights.

"Garcia is tyrannical and despotic in running the GSIS. Under him, the employees
of GSIS have been subjected to various political indignities and their economic
welfare severely undermined. Garcia has reportedly released a board resolution
cutting the salaries of rank-and-file employees by 10% to supposedly contribute
to the national government's efforts to stem the fiscal crisis," Beltran said.

"Garcia has made the lives of GSIS employees actively denouncing his
mismanagement of the agency unbearable by slapping various administrative
charges against them, and barring them from entering the agency premises," he
said.

Beltran said that so far, none of the charges and complaints filed against
Garcia at the Office of the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission (CSC)
have prospered or even just given a formal hearing because Garcia enjoys the
protection of Malacanang itself. He said that Garcia continues to abuse his
authority at the GSIS and his transgressions worsen because Malacanang gives
him leeway.

"I am willing to meet Garcia head on, even in court. Garcia has thrown his
weight around for too long, and the pile-up of casualties resulting from his
abusive management style and corrupt administration of the funds has hit the
roof: millions of government employees and beneficiaries are loudly demanding
his ouster from the GSIS," he said. Beltran said that he will file corruption
and abuse of authority charges against Garcia at the Ombudsman's and the
Civil Service Commission apart from pushing for congressional investigations.

"Garcia's records is one of the most spotted and corrupt among all government
appointees and officials. He should have long been removed from the GSIS
because of the consistently mounting charges against him, and the fact that
he remains in office is highly questionable. There is no credible check and
balance system in the GSIS because other GSIS officials and the members of the
GSIS board of directors is composed of either his relatives or individuals
directly connected to him and Malacanang. Together, they have been running GSIS
like their own kingdom, living lavish lifestyles at the expense of the fund
beneficiaries. Those among the rank and file employees who are brave enough to
oppose their edicts are slapped with administrative charges or summarily,
arbitrarily dismissed," he said.

Beltran said that the agency and Malacanang itself have miserably failed to
address addressed the massive chaos that has erupted in the agency, or meet and
settle the complaints of hundreds of thousands of government employees all over
the country.

"All charges against Garcia should also be laid at the feet of Pres. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo who appointed him and continues to support his administration
in the GSIS. It's impossible that the president is oblivious to the charges
leveled against her favorite. She is protecting him for a reason, and this
must also be exposed," he concluded.#