Day: December 7, 2021

As part of its commitment to bring itself closer to the Filipino people, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) assisted a public-school teacher when the loan payments she made during the pandemic were not reflected in her bank records.

 

Janet Jacinto, a senior high school teacher from Marikina, has been diligently setting aside a portion of her monthly income to fully pay for their family car which was financed through an auto loan.

 

With early repayment in mind, Teacher Janet asked for the latest statement of account from her bank in March 2021. She was stunned that the remaining balance was still the same amount pre-pandemic despite regularly paying monthly amortization during the series of lockdowns.

 

She immediately went to the nearest branch of her bank for clarification but did not receive any substantive action even after six months.

 

The stress from the missing car loan payments became unbearable, she recalled. “I could no longer focus on my work due to so much stress and anxiety. I felt so hopeless at first, to the extent that I could no longer eat well and sleep, and I always cried. This was until I got an idea to file a complaint with the BSP from one of my friends on social media. I immediately sent an email to consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph last 1 September 2021, and the BSP responded promptly by giving me the proper procedure on how to file a formal complaint,” Teacher Janet narrated.

 

The BSP Consumer Protection and Market Conduct Office acted swiftly on her complaint and facilitated a resolution by 16 September 2021, two weeks after she first made contact. As of writing, Teacher Janet and her husband have fully paid their auto loan and enjoy the fruits of their labor without the stress of thinking of monthly amortizations.

 

“All I can say is thank you so much and I salute the BSP Consumer Affairs Office. You guys are great and excellent! You delivered on your valuable commitment to serve the Filipino people. The BSP’s complaint response is a big help to anybody who needs assistance and immediate action to his/her problem. You give us hope and peace of mind,” said Teacher Janet.

 

She also added, “For those who have problems or concerns about your financial obligations or loans to banks, don’t hesitate to contact the BSP and ask for help. There are lots of options to reach the BSP.”

 

Financial consumers like Teacher Janet who need to escalate concerns against BSP-Supervised Institutions may reach out to BSP through its chatbot facility, the BSP Online Buddy (BOB), which is available 24/7 through the following access points:

 

Webchat:

 

1. Go to https://www.bsp.gov.ph​

 

2. Look for BOB’s icon on the lower right portion of the page.

 

3. Click BOB’s icon and a chat box will appear.

 

Facebook Messenger:

 

1. Open the official BSP Facebook page.

 

2. Click the Messenger icon.

 

3. Click “Get Started.”​

 

SMS:

 

1. Open your messaging app.

 

2. Text “Complaint” to 21582277 (For Globe subscribers only. Regular rates apply).

 

3. Wait for acknowledgement and feedback prompt.

 

 

For more information on the BSP’s consumer assistance channels and its financial inclusion and consumer protection initiatives, you may also visit the Financial Inclusion page in the BSP website through the following links:

 

https://www.bsp.gov.ph/SitePages/InclusiveFinance/InclusiveFinance.aspx#CP

 

https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Pages/InclusiveFinance/ConsumerAssistanceChannelsChatbot.aspx​​

 

 

Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

The Police are appealing for the next-of-kin of 63-year-old Mr Kung Kwai Cheong to come forward.

Mr Kung had passed away at his place of residence, located at Blk 90 Pipit Road, on 2 December 2021.

Anyone with information is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

 

 

Source: Singapore Police Force

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen on Monday walked back recent statements vowing exclusive support for the candidacy of his son to someday replace him in office, saying the contest is still open, Cambodian sources said.

Analysts said that Hun Sen, who has held power in Cambodia for more than 35 years, may have softened his stance over fear of provoking a damaging rift within his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

Speaking on Monday at the opening of a new national road in southeastern Cambodia’s Prey Veng province, Hun Sen said that he himself will run for reelection in any case in 2023.

Hun Sen’s son Hun Manet, 44, will not be eligible to run for the country’s top political job until 2028, he said, adding that the CPP at that time should have at least four candidates contending for the post.

“I can say that Hun Manet will be one of the candidates. This does not mean that he’ll be the only candidate,” Hun Sen said.

He also urged the son of the current Defense Minister Tea Banh, the son of Interior Minister Sar Kheng, and the son of the National Assembly’s first vice-president Cheam Yeap to compete for the position.

“Their opportunity to run will not come before 2028, though, and will probably be sometime between 2028, 2029, and 2030. They will have to wait,” he said.

Following Hun Sen’s statement, Sar Kheng’s son Sar Sokha, who now serves as secretary of state for Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, quickly issued his own endorsement for Hun Manet — who already commands Cambodia’s army as a three-star general — to be Cambodia’s next prime minister.

Cambodian political analyst Kim Sok, now living in exile in Finland, said that Hun Sen’s retreat from endorsing his son at a public event last week to someday succeed him shows concern over unrest within the CPP.

“It was normal, when Hun Sen raised this matter publicly before, for Sar Kheng, who was sitting behind him in the ceremony, not to express any public opposition,” he said.

“But Hun Sen now has to release some of this tension so that the public will not feel that Cambodia is following the example of North Korea by establishing a family dynasty.”

Hun Sen’s own position as prime minister is not fully legitimate, Kim Sok said, adding that by elevating Hun Manet to high office, Hun Sen may only be subjecting his son to unwelcome international scrutiny.

Based on party ranking order, Sar Kheng should succeed Hun Sen as prime minister in any case, said U.S.-based Cambodian political analyst So Naro.

“Like it or not, it should be Sar Kheng who receives the transfer of power,” he said.

Sok Ey San, spokesman for the CPP, denied the existence of any tension within the ruling party, saying Cambodian opposition groups have pointed to what he called imagined rifts within the CPP for more than 40 years.

“There is no division at all,” he said.

Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the country’s main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, in November 2017 over an alleged plot backed by the United States to topple the government.

The move to ban the CNRP was part of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on political opponents, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for the Cambodian People’s Party to win all 125 seats in the country’s July 2018 general election.

Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney.