Ex-ARMM veep gets jail term for unpaid GSIS, Pag-IBIG dues

MANILA -- Former Vice Governor Datu Guimid Matalam of theAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and two regional agrarian reform officials were sentenced to jail terms of one to three years for failing to remit millions of pesos in employees’ contributions to the Government Service Insurance System and Pag-BIG Fund, the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement.According toOmbudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Matalam, also ARMM agrarian reform secretary,a DAR-ARMM cashier Anssarry Lawi and accountant Naimah Unte were found guilty of violating Section 52 (g) of Republic Act 8291 or the GSIS Act.Matalam was also found guilty of violating Section 1, Rule XII of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 7742 (Pag-IBIG Universal Coverage Law) and fined P190,506. (They are also directed to)pay a penalty of three percent per month of the amounts payable computed from the date the contributions fell due and until full payment,” Morales said.In a decision, the Ombudsaman saidMatalam and his co-accused failed to remit P2,418,577.33 in GSIS premiums and P149,100 in Home Development Mutual or Pag-IBIG Fund contributions from 1997 to 1998.Matalam, Lawi and Untewere also slapped fines of P20,000 each and perpetually disqualified from holding public office and practicing any profession requiring a government license.Among the evidence presented by the complainantwas an April 23, 1998 letter from the GSIS branch in Cotabato City informing Matalam that the loan privileges of the affected employees had been suspended because of the non-remittance of the government share of their premiums for 1997.Six GSIS statements of account for the contributions were also sent to Matalam, Morales said.She said officials and records from the Department of Budget and Management and Landbank of the Philippines confirmed that P12,113,242 had been credited to the account of DAR-ARMM from September 1997 to January 1998.Efforts to reach Matalam and other accused for comments failed.