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THE SOCIAL Security System (SSS) will file criminal charges against 655 delinquent employers for not remitting P257 million in workers鈥 contributions.

It has also filed individual criminal charges at the Prosecutor鈥檚 Office against four businesses for P15 million unremitted employees鈥 contributions and penalties, as part of the nationwide Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaigns, the SSS said in a statement on Wednesday.

鈥淪SS previously visited the four employers during RACE operations to remind them to pay the contributions of their workers. However, they failed to settle their contribution delinquencies despite receiving violation notices from SSS,鈥 SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando L. Macasaet said.

The SSS filed charges against a restaurant business under the name Juanito Galvez, fire extinguisher鈥檚 retail-refilling supplier Chedda General Merchandise, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service provider e-Telecare, and car spare parts importer Cinwha Trading Corporation for depriving their 140 employees of availing SSS benefits or applying for loan programs because of their non-remittance of contributions.

SSS Vice President for Operations Legal Services Division and RACE Team Coordinator Renato Jacinto S. Cuisia said restaurant owner Juanito Galvez had the highest contribution delinquency out of the four delinquent employers at P11.1 million.

Of this, P4.8 million were unpaid workers鈥 contributions and P6.4 million were penalties.

SSS records showed that the establishment still needed to remit the SSS contributions of its 35 employees from June 2007 to August 2023, Mr. Cuisia said,.

All four businesses were given multiple opportunities to settle their contribution delinquencies, but the employers did not comply with the Social Security Law, he added.

The SSS previously issued violation notices to more than 1,200 delinquent employers across the country under a RACE operation to remind them of the legal consequences of not remitting their employees鈥 contributions. 鈥 Aaron Michael C. Sy