“We welcome the scrutiny and call for public disclosure from various sectors, and we are prepared to present all relevant documents and data to the appropriate authorities,” GSIS said.  

The state-run pension fund, which manages retirement savings for 2.7 million government workers and retirees, stressed that its Social Insurance Fund remains stable. “We assure our members, pensioners, and the Filipino public that the GSIS Social Insurance Fund remains strong, secure, and actuarially sound,” it said, citing total assets of PHP1.88 trillion ($32.9 billion) as of June 2025 and a net operating income of PHP76.82 billion ($1.3 billion), up 31 percent from the same period last year.  

GSIS said it has enjoyed a five-year average return on investments of 6.75 percent and will continue to review its charter, investment policies, risk exposure thresholds, and sectoral guidelines, “particularly those involving sensitive or high-risk industries.”  

“We remain guided by our mandate: to protect and grow the hard-earned contributions of government workers,” the statement concluded.  

DigiPlus issues statement  

Meanwhile, in a statement shared with SiGMA News, DigiPlus clarified that it had no role in the pension fund’s purchase of its shares. “The GSIS purchase of DigiPlus shares was a legitimate and transparent transaction conducted through the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). It followed all applicable rules governing market trades,” the company said.  

The company explained that the transaction was “solely between GSIS and the selling shareholder” and that, as a publicly listed company, it has “no control over secondary market transactions involving its shares.”  

“The company was neither a party to the transactions nor privy to its terms,” DigiPlus added.  

Lawmaker questions pension fund’s judgment   

The GSIS investment has drawn strong condemnation from Senator Risa Hontiveros, who described the move as “reckless and unacceptable” in a privilege speech delivered in the Philippine Senate earlier this week. Hontiveros questioned why a pension fund entrusted with the retirement money of millions of public servants would invest in an online gambling operator, especially at a time when legislative and executive branches are moving to regulate or ban e-gambling.  

The senator cited the “harmful effects” of online gambling on families, workers, and youth, adding that GSIS’s move appears contrary to public policy.  

Push to outlaw online gambling   

Hontiveros’s criticism comes as momentum builds in the Senate to ban all forms of online gambling. Several lawmakers, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Joel Villanueva, have expressed support for a total prohibition.  

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not address online gambling in his most recent State of the Nation Address in July. Still, Malacañang has since said he is “closely monitoring” the issue, particularly the problem of gambling addiction.  

Industry stakeholders, however, have warned that a blanket ban could push gambling underground, making it harder to regulate. Surveys also indicate that most Filipino online gamblers prefer tighter regulations over a total prohibition.