ILIGAN City ― "Sir, isn't the DBP included in the Maharlika Investment Fund? That's why ATM machines don't spit money anymore when depositors fiddle with them. It's all swallowed by the Maharlika!" This was the statement of an irate caller to Melvin, an anchor of a radio program.
The latter gave out a short laugh and then said: "No, the Maharlika is still a bill. It's still not a law!"
The discussion was about why said the particular banks in this part of the world don't spit anything, much less money to the owners of accounts here who have become "woeful."
It was then learned that the said case was a "service provider" concern. Because the said provider was "not from here." Meaning, the said provider was not available locally. And like any government entity, "protocols have to be followed." That was their statement Melvin, as he said he had talked with the manager here, Ms. Elizabeth Ebay.
So, many times, clients of said bank have to go to some other bank, and sometimes that "some other bank" would oblige. Meaning, it would spit out the fire, not the money desired to be withdrawn.
But at some cost!
Although the said cost really was small, still people here don't like it.
So, aside from the "on air" comments, social media was swarmed with such kinds of comments.
Yet, that matter was forgotten when another bank was besieged with a more "alarming" tale of woe. Hundreds had "lost their balances" in their accounts. That is, per FB posts. That was what my friend Fely said when she came over to the office for some "Marites."
"I don't entirely believe those posts there," I told her.
"But they have also posted 'the receipts!" She was emphatic.
"Ha?" I was incredulous. Because there's really something there…hmm…And then when we switched on the radio, the news was full of that "woeful" mystery of said bank. What could be the matter?
"Anyway," Fely said. "I don't have an account with the said bank!" And then said "Bye". As if she had a most important matter to attend to outside our immediate world. Maybe to inquire further about said matter? Yeah? I asked myself.
When I came into Mike, my nerdy friend in the plaza, I saw that he was laughing. "What gives?" I said. He was looking intently into his cell phone. He said somebody had posted in social media that his bank balance at BPI "had suddenly increased."
"Wow," I said. "It's the reverse of what I heard earlier. That their balances in the said bank had been wiped out."
Later, at home, when I made some search online on the matter, the management of said bank revealed that "there was some 'glitch' in the system." The withdrawals were posted "twice" it said, and everything was done "to correct it."
Meaning, if you have P15,000 and withdrew P10,000 only, your account would be wiped out? Huh?
I think depositors or clients of the said bank must take heart. For real, it's only some glitch that can be corrected. Hopefully. Think positive, so it is said. And then I remembered a sign in some comfort room that had said: "Remember, the job ain't completed unless you've done the paperwork!" Which pointed to some tissue paper. I remember such words in that area when the anchor in that radio program said that the "Maharlika" is still a bill; it is not yet "a law."
For I remember too in some class that the last two words. "a law" was spoken as if they were "Bisaya" ..And oh, I remember another thing. That Pope Benedict, who was then the first Pope who resigned because of "old age" did not really resign for that reason. It was rumored that he resigned because he supposedly saw something was really the matter with the Vatican Bank.
Email: norasorino2@gmail.com
