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Philippines
Senate panel to tackle bills on military pension, retirement plan in May
Philippines
Senate panel to tackle bills on military pension, retirement plan in May
Senate panel to tackle bills on military pension, retirement plan in May
Published Apr 3, 2023 04:32 am
Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Monday, April 3 said the Senate will start tackling the various bills seeking to provide a unified system for separation, retirement, and pension of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) services next month in the committee level.
Estrada, chairman of the Senate labor and employment committee, said the measures are pending under the national defense and security committee, which he also chairs.
“My Senate Bill No. 284, which seeks to provide a unified system for separation, retirement, and pension of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) services was filed in July last year. Similar bills were likewise introduced by Senators Sonny Angara and Bong Revilla Jr.,” Estrada said in a statement.
“These measures are pending in my Committee on National Defense and Security and will be taken up when we resume our plenary work next month,” the senator assured. Still on the table, however, is the bill rationalizing the disability pension of veterans and “we have just concluded the period of interpellation before we went on recess two weeks ago,” according to Estrada.
“Inuna po namin ito dahil sa ganang amin, may pangangailangan ang reporma sa pension ng mga beteranong may tinamong kapansanan in the line of duty (We prioritized this because as far as we are concerned, there is a need for pension reform for veterans who have acquired disabilities in the line of duty),” he said.
Nevertheless, he said, he and other senators have filed their respective measures to address the fiscal hemorrhage that the current pension system for military and uniformed personnel retirees is causing the government coffers. “Indeed, we are facing a ballooning pension requirement without viable funding sources,” he pointed out.
“The MUP pensions are way higher than the budgetary requirement for the base pay of active soldiers and policemen,” he added. “It’s for this reason that we have laid down a proposal to provide a mechanism for our government to balance and sustain financial flexibility while also guaranteeing our men and women in uniform that the State can and will continue to provide suitable benefits and remuneration to them as there is a need to ensure and maintain a viable pension system,” he said. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier pushed for a review of the pension scheme for the military and MUPs to avoid a “fiscal collapse” and allow the government to save P130-billion a year.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno had said the current pension system is fully funded by the national government, with no contribution from the retirees, making the military pension system unsustainable.
Estrada, chairman of the Senate labor and employment committee, said the measures are pending under the national defense and security committee, which he also chairs.
“My Senate Bill No. 284, which seeks to provide a unified system for separation, retirement, and pension of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) services was filed in July last year. Similar bills were likewise introduced by Senators Sonny Angara and Bong Revilla Jr.,” Estrada said in a statement.
“These measures are pending in my Committee on National Defense and Security and will be taken up when we resume our plenary work next month,” the senator assured. Still on the table, however, is the bill rationalizing the disability pension of veterans and “we have just concluded the period of interpellation before we went on recess two weeks ago,” according to Estrada.
“Inuna po namin ito dahil sa ganang amin, may pangangailangan ang reporma sa pension ng mga beteranong may tinamong kapansanan in the line of duty (We prioritized this because as far as we are concerned, there is a need for pension reform for veterans who have acquired disabilities in the line of duty),” he said.
Nevertheless, he said, he and other senators have filed their respective measures to address the fiscal hemorrhage that the current pension system for military and uniformed personnel retirees is causing the government coffers. “Indeed, we are facing a ballooning pension requirement without viable funding sources,” he pointed out.
“The MUP pensions are way higher than the budgetary requirement for the base pay of active soldiers and policemen,” he added. “It’s for this reason that we have laid down a proposal to provide a mechanism for our government to balance and sustain financial flexibility while also guaranteeing our men and women in uniform that the State can and will continue to provide suitable benefits and remuneration to them as there is a need to ensure and maintain a viable pension system,” he said. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier pushed for a review of the pension scheme for the military and MUPs to avoid a “fiscal collapse” and allow the government to save P130-billion a year.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno had said the current pension system is fully funded by the national government, with no contribution from the retirees, making the military pension system unsustainable.