Ulo ng hepe ng Insurance Commission gugulong

NANGANGANIB masibak sa puwesto si Insurance Commission chief Emmanuel Dooc dahil sa pagiging inutil sa reklamo ng Steel Corporation of the Philippines (SCP) laban sa ilang kompanya ng seguro na ayaw magbayad ng insurance claims.

Sinabi ni SCP spokesman Atty. Ferdinand Topacio Jr., wala nang dahilan na manatili si Dooc sa Insurance Commission dahil mas pinapaboran niya ang insurance companies na kitang-kita sa pagbalewala sa reklamong inihain ni SCP Chairman and chief executive officer Abeto Uy.

“Having been associated with big insurance firms for several years in the past, it is doubtful if the present Insurance Commission Chairman Emmanuel Dooc is fit to hold the position, as he might be biased in favor of insurance companies he is very familiar and friendly with,” pahayag ni Topacio sa isang press conference kahapon.

Binigyang-diin ni Topacio na si Chairman Dooc ay dating presidente ng 33-strong Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA) at reappointed bilang pinuno ng IC ay sinuportahan ng Philippine Insurance and Reinsurance Association (PIRA) na binubuo ng 78 non-life insurance companies. Naging Vice-President and General Counsel din si Dooc ng Philam Group of Companies.

Ayon kay Topacio, ang pagkiling ni Dooc sa mga kompanya ng seguro at ang kawalan ng aksiyon sa reklamo ng SCP ang nagbunsod sa chairman at CEO na si Abeto Uy na sumulat kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte para hilingin ang pagsibak sa puwesto kay Dooc.

“We respectfully bring to your attention the problems which Steel Corporation of the Philippines (SCP) is having with the seemingly cartelized transactions between and among banks, insurance companies and the Insurance Commission,” ani SCP Chairman at Chief Executive Officer Abeto Uy.

“(P)ursuant to the pronouncements of the President to purge the government of corrupt officials and urged the public to help him identify those who are corrupt, we respectfully request your good office to look into the inaction and irregularity of the Insurance Commissioner as head of the Insurance Commission on the two (2) administrative cases which SCP had filed with it,” ani Uy sa kanyang sulat kay Pagulong Duterte na may petsang Oktubre 4.

Nagpadala rin si Uy ng kanyang limang-pahinang liham kay Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III na may administrative control sa Insurance Commission.

Sinabi ni Topacio, napilitan siyang magpadala ng liham kay Pangulong Duterte dahil sa kabiguan ng SCP na makakuha ng hustisya sa Insurance Commission sa dalawang reklamong inihain laban sa dalawang grupo ng mga kompanya ng seguro na patuloy sa pagkakait sa insurance claims ng SCP na nag-ugat sa dalawang insidente ng sunog sa planta nito  sa Brgy. Munting Tubig, Balayan, Batangas.

Nangyari ang unang insidente ng sunog noong Hunyo 8, 2008 na nagresulta sa pagkasira ng Cold Rolling Mill (CRM). Ang mga insurer sa unang sunog ay UCPB General Insurance Corporation, Oriental Assurance Corporation, PNB General Insurers Co., Inc. at Equitable Insurance Corporation.

Nagkaroon ng ikalawang sunog noong Disyembre 7, 2009 na tumupok nang husto sa buong planta ng SCP sa Balayan, Batangas. Ang mga insurer naman dito ay Mapfre Insular Corporation, Philippine Charter Insurance Corporation (ngayon ay Charter Ping An Insurance Corporation), Standard Insurance Corporation, Asia Insurance Phils. Corporation, New India Assurance Co., Ltd. at Malayan Insurance Co.

Ayon kay Topacio, tanging ang Standard Insurance ang nagbayad ng claims ng SCP na umabot sa USD 38,270,965.00 na hindi kasama ang interes.

Naghain ng magkahiwalay na reklamo ang SCP sa IC noong Oktubre 29, 2009 at Mayo 12, 2015 laban sa dalawang grupo ng insurance firms para sa ”Unfair Claims Settlement” na nakasaad sa Insurance Code. Kabilang sa hiling ng SCP sa IC ang pagpapataw ng parusang administratibo laban sa mga kompanya ng seguro.

“The Rules of Procedure adopted by the IC provides that “[u]nless a different period is fixed by special law, all contested cases or incidents shall be decided within thirty (30) days from the date of submission for resolution.” The first fire complaint was submitted by IC for resolution on July 13, 2015 or six years after the filing of the Complaint, while in the second case, SCP has already filed several motions for resolutions which remain  pending,” paliwanag ni Topacio.

“Only now is the IC seeking response from the insurance companies themselves, for a requirement which should have been submitted eight years and seven years ago, when the insurance policies were issued. Further, the Commissioner did not take any action to resolve the administrative complaints filed with them several years ago,” pagtatapos ni Topacio.