Bomb threat on GSIS a mere gimmick?
Pensioners of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) viewed as a mere gimmick the alleged bomb threat yesterday morning at the GSIS office in Iznart St., Iloilo City.
A team from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) responded to the call reportedly received by a GSIS employee around 9:15 yesterday morning.
After the police led by Chief Inspector Conrado Carganillo finished scouring the area, a go signal was given to the employees to go back to their work. However, it was learned that the employees stayed inside the building in spite of the bomb threat.
Carganillo said he will meet with the security guards of the building where the GSIS office is situated to discuss the security measures they should impose.
He said whether the call is true or not, they should respond to the call and validate the information. Carganillo said they do not want to get caught flat- footed in unwarranted situations.
The bomb threat came during the time when tension is high among the pensioners and beneficiaries over their unreleased claims and benefits. For the past weeks, numerous complaints on unreleased and short claims of beneficiaries bombarded the GSIS office.
Beneficiaries from all over the city and province of Iloilo are wondering on whether the government has still enough funds for the retired government employees and government workers covered with GSIS benefits.
GSIS officials here attributed the delay in the releasing of claims on the “cleansing” of beneficiaries list and problems on their computer system. This explanation is unacceptable on the part of the claimants.
Claimants believe the bomb threat was purposely designed for the GSIS officials to evade the rants and complaints.
Yesterday, before the news on the alleged bomb threat came out there were speculations that beneficiaries would stage a strike in front of the GSIS office.