Retired employees of the Sugar Regulatory Administration said they will file charges against their officials if their demand for full payment of retirement incentive benefit remain ignored.

In a statement released to the media, the SRA retirees said they will bring to court their complaint against Administrator James Ledesma, Deputy Administrators Aida Ignacio and Dominador Villanueva, Amelita Papasin and Raul Labay of SRA Legal Unit for withholding 25 percent of their incentive benefit package.

The retirees said they are entitled to a one-month salary incentive for every year of service in excess of 30 years but the management prevented its release.

The group added that they have complied with all the requirements set by Ledesma, even paying back the Gratuity Pay paid to them when the Philippine Sugar Institute, a predecessor of the SRA, was abolished, to make up for the "interrupted service".

When PHILSUGIN was abolished in September 1977, the employees said they were rehired by the Philippine Sugar Commission that was later replaced by the SRA.

They said refunding the Gratuity Pay through payroll deduction was the condition for their rehiring under PHILSUCOM.

The retirees' claim also cited the computation of the Government Service Insurance System of their actual years of service which included the years they served as employees of PHILSUGIN, PHILSUCOM and SRA.

In response, SRA Administrator James Ledesma said only the court can determine if the allegations of the retirees are valid or not. He added that SRA has its own position on the issue.

Contrary to the claims of the retirees that Ledesma refused to talk to them by snubbing their July 3 meeting, the administrator said no appointment was scheduled that day as he was on sick leave.

He added that the complaints of the retirees have reached an impasse and it is about time the matter is resolved in court.*NAB

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