Family of Over 10 Deceased Senior Citizens Discovers That the Pensions of Their Departed Loved Ones Are Still Being Claimed
The pensions of more than 10 deceased senior citizens in Manila were allegedly still being claimed years after their deaths.
One of the names on the list was 84-year-old Santos Conde, a resident of a barangay in Santa Ana. According to his family, he passed away nearly four years ago. Despite this, they were surprised to learn that someone had reportedly continued claiming his monthly social pension worth P500 from the local government.
The family also found that the pension of Efren Dela Rosa, who had also been dead for four years, was allegedly still being collected. The discovery was made when Efren’s sibling went to claim a pension and noticed that his name remained on the list of beneficiaries.
Concerned by what they found, the family immediately sought help from the Office for the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) of the Manila local government. During the verification process, they discovered documents showing signatures under the names of Santos and Efren for pension payouts covering January to March 2026.
Further checks revealed that at least 10 deceased senior citizens in the same barangay were still listed as beneficiaries, with records indicating that their pensions had continued to be claimed.
The complainants believe that only barangay officials had access to the documents used during the payout process. After learning that the families had reported the issue, the barangay captain reportedly contacted them and denied any knowledge of the alleged irregularities.
The affected families remain determined to pursue legal action and seek accountability from anyone found responsible. Relatives of the deceased seniors expressed sadness and disappointment, especially since some of the officials involved were known personally by their families.
Aside from the ongoing investigation by OSCA, the families have already gone to the police to file complaints. Authorities said those proven responsible could face serious charges, including malversation of public funds, falsification of public documents, and estafa.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said it would first verify the facts surrounding the case before issuing a statement. Meanwhile, the Manila city government has yet to release an official response regarding the incident.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
