OWNERS of three establishments in Baguio City have been served warrants of arrest for failing to abide by the Social Security System (SSS) Law.
In a briefing, lawyer Bleselda Acosta of the SSS Northern Luzon 1 Cluster legal department said these three establishments were previously given the necessary warnings by the court but did not comply with the order.
“The subject of the operation for these three business establishments is actually three violations wherein one failed to produce employment records, the other one is none registration of employees wherein he reported his business and employees to the SSS but failed to register them, while the other business establishment is for non-remittance of contribution wherein he registered as an employer and reported his employees but failed to remit the contribution which are compulsory,” Acosta explained.
The three establishments, whose names were withheld by SSS include a food business, a consultancy firm, and a computer rental shop.
Under the law, SSS officers are authorized to conduct an investigation and inspect business establishments.
“We sought the assistance of the PNP to serve the pending warrants of arrest that have already been issued by the courts against these establishments who are violators of the SSS Law, they were given the longest time to comply and this is not just a legal obligation but a social obligation on the part of the employers and likewise what they have violated is not only the SSS law but human rights because under the universal declaration of human rights, every member of the society is entitled to social security,” the legal officer said.
Based on the records of the SSS Northern Luzon 1 Cluster, one of the case was filed in 2016 with the appropriate warnings given by the SSS, another was filed in 2014 and was given a year to comply with the warning.
There at least 137 establishments in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, and Benguet that are being closely monitored by SSS with 30 cases already filed.
Several establishments in Baguio City are also being monitored and will be filed respective cases for violating the SSS law.
“I say to them that this is not a light offense because this includes the penalty of imprisonment which is not only one day or one month but years. The penal sanction of the violation is six years and one day to 12 years aside from the P5,000 fine to P20,000 including another violation with a penal sanction of 20 years imprisonment aside from the civil aspect wherein they will have to pay the unpaid SSS contribution or remittances of the employee that have not been paid with a penalty of 2 percent per month,” Acosta added.
The three owners of the establishment, however, eluded arrest as they were either out of the country or in other areas in Luzon.