Palace defends Neri's appointment as new SSS head

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Wednesday defended the appointment of Romulo Neri as Social Security System (SSS) president, saying he is highly qualified for the job. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo carefully chooses her appointees based on the person’s qualifications. He added that apart from being an economist, Neri was also a professor and was part of the House budget planning office. Neri will officially sit as new SSS president on August 1. Shortly after Malacañang announced the appointment, Sen. Francis Escudero expressed fears that with Neri at hand, Malacañang will sow its influence on how the SSS is being run. He also said that Neri does not have a clean track record. Sen. Mar Roxas, meanwhile, called the move “unwise," saying the crisis-laden country does not need any more political controversy. SSS employees had also said they will keep an eye on the new SSS head and will not hesitate to blow the whistle if he engages in irregularities. Ermita also allayed fears that the pension fund of private sector employees would be misused. "You're concern is in the mind of a fellow like Secretary Neri - do not put in jeopardy the SSS interest or its members," he said. Ermita also said Neri is still covered by executive privilege since he is a member of the Cabinet as well as one of the heads of the National Social Welfare Program, a merger of various government departments created on Tuesday by the President. Neri, who was the former director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), garnered criticism when he invoked executive privilege during the Congressional hearings on the controversial ZTE-NBN deal. - GMANews.TV