WE HAVE MANY FRIENDS in the Government Service Insurance System or GSIS, Bohol Branch Office. Thus our decision to stay away from many controversial issues affecting the GSIS and its pensioners.

But a few days ago after seeing the hapless pensioners lining up and filling up the so-called GSIS e-cards forms at their local office, we decided to take up their sorry plight. These also after seeing the long queues of pensioners waiting at the ATM booth of a lone bank where they can withdraw their meager monthly pension. Most of these pensioners were old men and women, some of them in wheelchairs and crutches, many apparently 70 years or over.

The policy of the GSIS of not honoring special powers of attorney (SPA) and affidavits of authorization duly executed by old and sick pensioners in favor of their nearest of kin or their trusted relatives, and instead forcing them to personally appear at the GSIS despite their old age and frail health - STINKS. These 70 or over pensioners, if we have to take the word of the Bible in Psalm 90: 10 are at the end of their lives. For the good book even says that "the days of our lives are seventy (70) years ... it is soon cut off, and we fly away". So what the GSIS is actually doing is punishing dead men who are still walking.

Why don't the GSIS give its pensioners who are in the final chapter of their lives, a small measure of compassion and respect due them as retired public servants? And to think that GSIS is supposed to be a mere custodian of the money deducted from the income of these old folks when they were younger and serving the government. We don't want to believe that the GSIS is making up all of these policies and regulations to hide its sorry financial state and consequently its inability to pay on time what are due its pensioners. This after the issues raised by GSIS employees themselves in Manila who exposed the extravagantly profligate lifestyles of GSIS top managers and their coddlers in Malacanang.

And by the way, speaking of dead men walking, we are appalled at the reported results of very recent surveys on the probable outcome of the senatorial contest between the administration and the opposition slates come May this year. If we are to believe said surveys, it appears that the potential candidates of the government face certain defeat if the elections were held today. Hence, we see several cabinet members declining to be drafted. Political pundits say that inclusion in the Arroyo ticket is a political kiss of death. This time we are talking of dead ducks walking even before the May 2007 polls.

Gospel Quote: “you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32