CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — The Philippine National Police in Region 10 (PNP-10) warned business owners to pay the Social Security System (SSS) contribution of their employees otherwise they will face legal action or even arrest.
“Delinquent employers must religiously pay the contributions and salary loan payments of their workers to SSS or face legal consequences,” Brig. Gen. Rafael Santiago Jr., PNP-10 Regional Director, said Thursday (Oct. 10) following the arrest of businessman Bienvenido Macaraeg Jr.
Macaraeg, owner of bread and pastries maker Sunny Farm Foods in this city, was apprehended inside a shopping mall by a team of operatives from the PNP-10 Regional Intelligence Division and SSS-10.
He didn’t pay the contributions of his 28 workers from 2011 to 2015, according to SSS.
“He owes over P1.2 million in unpaid SSS contribution with corresponding penalty,” Carlos Flaviano, SSS-10 intelligence officer, said in a phone interview.
Macaraeg was charged for violation of Section 22 (a) and (d) in relation to Section 28 of Republic Act 8282 or the Social Security Law.
Lt. Col. Mardy Hortillosa, PNP-10 Spokesperson, said the warrant of arrest was issued in 2017 by Judge Marites Filomena Rana-Bernales of the 10th Judicial Region Branch 39.
Macaraeg, Hortillosa said, has told the police he didn’t receive any notification from the SSS and that he wasn’t aware of his mounting payables to the government insurance agency.
But Flaviano said they have notified Macaraeg of his outstanding obligations.
“We have given him time (to pay),” Flaviano said, adding they sent him demand letters several times before filing a formal complaint at the Prosecutor’s Office.
Macaraeg, he said, even went to their office and asked to pay in installments. But he didn’t return to SSS-10 to make the initial payment.
“He (Macaraeg) was given time to settle his obligations to the SSS, but it appeared he did not act on it,” Hortillosa said.
Now that Macaraeg is arrested, he will have to face the case filed against him in court.
Hortillosa said the PNP-10 will coordinate and assist SSS-10 in implementing the arrest warrants against employers who have been delinquent in paying their workers’ contribution. (davaotoday.com)
