By Felipo David G. Malcampo
ZAMBOANGA CITY –
Twenty-four employers who were found guilty of refusing to remit the monthly
social security contributions of their employees were sent to jail and cases
have also been filed against some 7,000 erring employers by the Social Security
System (SSS).
In a press release, SSS chief legal counsel and senior
vice president of legal services division Atty. Voltaire Agas said that SSS has
charged 7,072 employees beginning in 2010.
“The 24 employers convicted by the court were ordered to
serve jail terms of up to 12 years,” Agas said. He emphasized that these
convictions and SSS’ legal actions should be a reminder to erring employers.
“As much as they have a business to operate, they also
have the obligation to fulfill their duties under the Social Security Law, he
added.
According to the SSS, the legal actions were able to
generate about P1.6-billion in unpaid contributions, penalties and fines, which
were collected from the employers that entered into out-of-court settlements.
Under the SSS charter, employers must report new employees
for contribution within 30 days of their hiring.
In the case an employer is found to be delinquent in its
obligations, employees are encouraged to report such incidents at the nearest
SSS branch. Agas said that the complaints should be accompanied by proofs of
employment such as a company ID and the payslips.
