President Duterte sacked Social Security System (SSS) Commissioner Jose Gabriel La Viña for demanding a P26-million budget to fund his “social media” project, among other reasons.
Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. revealed this in a statement released over the weekend, saying that La Viña also requested for a budget of P1.6 million per month for a media-advertising program.
But Roque noted that both demands were denied.
Aside from this, Roque said the former SSS commissioner also requested for the accreditation of seven brokers to handle SSS investments. However, these brokers could not meet the requirements, so the accreditation request was also denied.
Roque added La Viña also embarked on a vilification campaign against four SSS executives who crossed his path, noting that there was a news conference where he spoke against these executives.
Last year La Viña filed a complaint against the fund’s executive vice president for investments Rizaldy Capulong and three other officers whom he accused of “serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.” The officers included in the complaint were Social Security Commission Equities Investment Division chief Reginald Candelaria, Equities Product Development head Ernesto Francisco Jr. and Chief Actuary George Ongkeko Jr.
“Two of the four executives resigned, and one is now a consultant of the secretary of finance,” Roque said.
Last week Malacañang announced that the President had not renewed the appointments of La Viña and SSS Chairman Amado Valdez but gave no reasons for the decision.
“The President has mentioned time and again that he will not tolerate even a whiff of corruption,” Roque said.
La Viña, who is serving in a holdover capacity since July 2017, was a known Duterte ally and is the social-media manager during the President’s 2016 presidential campaign.