GSIS chief Veloso back to work as Ombudsman lifts suspension

Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso on Friday welcomed the lifting of his preventive suspension, saying he is ready to resume his duties.

In a statement, Veloso said the Ombudsman’s Sept. 17 decision affirmed there was no sufficient ground to believe his continued service would prejudice the ongoing investigation into a PHP1.4-billion stock purchase by the pension fund.

“I welcome this as a recognition of the professionalism and integrity with which I have conducted myself throughout my tenure,” he said, adding that he had always acted “in good faith and in accordance with the policies, procedures, and legal limits” governing the GSIS.

Veloso vowed to focus on protecting and growing the fund. “As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has consistently emphasized, GSIS must remain focused on securing the long-term financial security of public servants and their families. I am committed to that mission,” he said.

Veloso and six other GSIS officials were suspended in July over the Alternergy stock deal, which the Ombudsman said could involve grave misconduct, neglect of duty, and violations of investment rules.