Senator Bong Go (Senate PRIB)

The proposed Military and Uniform Personnel (MUP)  pension reforms must apply only to new entrants, Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go said on Tuesday, April 11. Go, however, maintained that he is open to reforms to the pension system for the country’s military personnel but only if they would not adversely affect the benefits due to active and retired members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) as well as other uniformed personnel, emphasizing the years that they have sacrificed to serve and protect the country. As reported earlier, the Marcos administration is looking into the possibility of reevaluating the pension system, noting the concern that the budget for said pensions would inevitably exceed the compensation of those in active service. “Bilang isang senador, at vice-chair ng Defense Committee sa Senado (Aa a senator and as vice chairman of the Senate National Defense Committee), I want to give our heroes what is due to them, but we also have to ensure the fiscal stability of our nation,” said Go. Go then reiterated that there is a need to balance the welfare of military and other uniformed personnel, and their dependents, while resolving possible adverse financial impact based on the current projections. He emphasized that it would be unfair for active and retired military personnel to be covered by the proposed pension reform given that the existing rules have been their basis for computing their benefits after they have served the country. Go stressed that during former president Rodrigo Duterte's term, they doubled the salary of the military and did not want the existing pension to be affected. Highlighting their crucial role in protecting the country, Go also underscored the need for the government to provide better benefits and support to the military and police so they would be able to live a more dignified and comfortable life after their service to the country. “As we commemorated Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), we honor the bravery and sacrifice of our Filipino soldiers who fought for our country's freedom and independence. Their selflessness and unwavering commitment to defend our nation should inspire us all to continue working towards a better future for our fellow Filipinos,” Go remarked. The senator from Davao mentioned that he helped former president Rodrigo Duterte in pushing for the military’s salary to be doubled during the latter’s term. Furthermore, Go expressed his disapproval to remove the automatic indexation system, which automatically adjusts the retiree’s pension to square with the incumbent military and uniformed services personnel of similar rank. Meanwhile, Department of National Defense (DND) Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on April 3 acknowledged all concerns and reassured that the proposed pension reforms are being carefully evaluated, saying, “We would like to give our assurance to our stakeholders that the government will always look after the welfare and livelihood of our men and women in uniform..’’ “Proposed reforms to the MUP pension system are still currently being studied while we also conduct consultations with active and retired uniformed personnel regarding the matter,” Galvez added. For his part as a lawmaker, Go earlier filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 422, which seeks to provide free legal assistance to the country's uniformed personnel. The senator cited that some police officers were wrongfully accused which prompted him to push for the  bill.