Tell it to SunStar: Senior Citizen Party-list calls for House probe on NCSC chairman

Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes Jr. has asked the House of Representatives to investigate and hold accountable National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairman Franklin Quijano for leadership failures and alleged anomalies.In a privileged speech Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 31, 2022, Rep. Ordanes said Quijano has failed to execute a swift transition despite already being NCSC chairman since 2020.Ordanes said “two years have already passed under his leadership and yet the NCSC has languished in reaching its (transition) milestones and has yet to make any significant progress in shepherding the transition of the functions of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) for senior citizens” into the NCSC.Despite his being NCSC chairman for two years already, Quijano failed to submit an NCSC en banc-approved organizational structure and staffing pattern.NCSC still has no strategic plan and approved expenditure plan for 2023, according to Ordanes, who chairs the House chairman of the special committee on senior citizens.The lawmaker further said the NCSC still has no duly-appointed executive director but has been appointing regional directors despite the lack of an approved organizational structure.Quijano, despite having no appointing powers, has single-handedly appointed officials to the Commission, without consulting his fellow commissioners.Ordanes said Quijano has been bypassing the NCSC Commissioners for Visayas and Mindanao and has been acting on his own and sometimes with NCSC Commissioner Reymar Mansilungan, disregarding the collegial nature of the NCSC.Ordanes has filed House Resolution 326 to formally call for the House investigation of the NCSC.The House has referred to its committee on rules the privilege speech of Ordanes.