Revilla files bill increasing war vets’ pension by P3,000
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2019 13:05:17 +0000
Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has filed Senate Bill No. 456 seeking a P3,000 increase in the monthly pension of war veterans.
If passed into law, the monthly pension provided to Filipino war veterans would increase from P20,000 to P23,000.
Last Dec. 20, the P5,000 monthly old age pension of veterans of World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War was increased to P20,000 when President Duterte signed RA 11164.
RA 11164, however, covers only the eligible living senior veterans and their pensions are not transferable to any of their family members or dependents.
Under Senate Bill No. 456, Revilla said the measure will cover other forms of assistance, not only to war veterans and veterans of military campaigns, but also their surviving spouses and orphans.
“This bill aims to further this policy by increasing the monthly pension due our war veterans by P3,000,” Revilla said in the explanatory note of the bill. “This will be of great help to our veterans and their dependents during these trying times where the cost of our basic necessities is at an all-time high,” the senator added.
Under the bill, the monthly pension shall be granted directly to the war veteran and in case of death, his pension shall be released in favor of his surviving spouse and in case of the latter’s incapacity, to the oldest legitimate child of the war veteran.
The amount necessary for the implementation of the measure will be included in the annual appropriations of the Department of National Defense. (Hannah Torregoza)