JV Ejercito criticizes ARTA over slow response to San Juan retirees’ terminal leave dispute
October 11, 2023
Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito
questioned the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) regarding the delayed resolution
of complaints from San Juan employees who, after retiring in 2019, had not
received their terminal leave.
During the Senate Finance Subcommittee “H”
meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 11, Ejercito revealed that there are currently 11
former employees in San Juan who are yet to receive the money nearly four years
after their retirement in 2019.
"That’s about a total of 30 employees
back then. Buti na lang nag-privilege speech ako nung February, gumalaw ang
ibang kaso," Ejercito said, stressing the significance of terminal leave,
a financial benefit earned through years of service.
"That is theirs because pinaghirapan po
nila ‘yon. I don’t think anybody has the right really to withhold those because
they earned it through the years," Ejercito emphasized.
The lawmaker from San Juan shared his
disappointment in not receiving a response to his letter dated March 7, 2023
which was sent to ARTA. Despite his position as a senator, his letter went
unanswered for six months.
"Hindi naman para sakin ‘to, para doon sa
mga pinaglalaban natin na hindi binibigyan ng terminal leave. Hindi niyo nga
sinagot eh, nagkaroon ng resolution six months after. So how can an ordinary
citizen expect that ARTA would listen to their complaints?"
He asked why such a simple case took more than
three and a half years for ARTA to resolve. He highlighted the irony of ARTA's
role in combating red tape while these cases remained unresolved for an
extended period.
ARTA Director General Atty. Ernesto Perez
acknowledged the oversight, apologizing for the unintentional delay in
responding to Ejercito's letter.
"I sincerely apologize for the
[oversight]. I assure the good senator that it was not intentional. Because my
directive to our lawyers is always to act in response to any question or
queries," Perez said. "I totally agree with you that any citizen
regardless of position or status in life is entitled to speedy justice."
Perez assured the lawmaker that this was an
isolated case and pledged that it would not happen again. He also mentioned
that efforts were underway to enhance their response system, particularly
through an electronic complaint monitoring system.
Ejercito hoped that ARTA would become more
proactive, fulfill its mandate, and show that it is responsive to the concerns
of both ordinary citizens and elected officials.
"Ang akala natin those who have less in
life, should have more in law. It took three and a half years before ARTA was
able to resolve this case, Bakit? Dahil ba mga empleyado lang ito ng munisipyo
o ng city at ang kalaban eh Mayor?"
He
also pointed out that this issue was not politically motivated but a matter of
principle and justice for the employees who were yet to receive their terminal
leave benefits after years of service.