7 more House members sign SSS pension veto override

MANILA, Philippines – Seven more members of the House of Representatives have signed the resolution to override President Aquino’s veto of the bill calling for a P2,000 increase in the monthly pension of retirees from the Social Security System (SSS).

“We now have an initial 64 signatures so far. By May 23 (when Congress reconvenes), we hope to have more than 192 signatures,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, principal author of the vetoed bill, said yesterday.

He said the new signatories are: Lino Cayetano of Taguig City, Sol Aragones of Laguna, Enrico Echiverri of Caloocan City, Kimi Cojuangco of Tarlac, who is a relative of Aquino, Tobias Tiangco of Navotas, Marcelino Teodoro of Marikina, and Arthur Yap of Bohol.

Including Colmenares, override supporters now number 65 – about a third of the 192 votes or two-thirds House membership – needed to set aside the presidential veto.

If the override initiative succeeds in the House, the same two-thirds vote or 16 votes will be required in the Senate to make the vetoed SSS pension bill a law.

“We wish to emphasize that this is just an initial list and many more congressmen have expressed support for the override. We expect more congressmen to sign as the days pass,” Colmenares said.

“By May 23, we will again present this at the plenary and we hope that it would not be disregarded and would be debated upon. What is at stake here is the lives of our pensioners and every day counts. Also by May 23, there would essentially be a new president and my colleagues would not have to fear retaliation from President Aquino,” he said.

Last Wednesday, when the House adjourned session without tackling the override resolution, Colmenares had 57 signatories, most of them Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) members led by its president, Giorgidi Aggabao of Isabela.

It is not clear what message the coalition identified with presidential uncle Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. was trying to send Aquino.

One signatory, Rep. Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay, said he would re-file the SSS pension increase bill in the next Congress if the override move does not succeed.

“I am running for re-election under Buhay. I will re-introduce the bill if we win in May,” he said.

Colmenares, who is eyeing a Senate seat, is on his third and last term as a House member.