Mar not worried about effect of PNoy's pension hike veto on candidacy

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II is not worried about the possible impact on his candidacy of President’s Aquino’s veto on the bill that seeks to increase the pension of Social Security System (SSS) members.

Roxas said there is no reason to be anxious if one is doing what is right.

“If you are doing what is right, you do not have to be worried. I did what is right. P-Noy (President Aquino) did what is right. Why should he worry?” he told reporters on Monday in San Juan.   

“If you always consider what other people will say, you will be distraught. There will be no right or wrong,” he added.

Roxas said a leader is not always expected to come up with popular decisions.

“But in every decision, there is right and wrong. We should always be on the side of what is right,” he added.

Earlier, Aquino vetoed the bill that seeks to raise the SSS monthly pensions by P2,000, saying the measure would drastically cut the life of the pension fund.

He said the pension increase would benefit 2.15 million pensioners but would negatively affecit 30 million others.

Critics slammed Aquino for the veto, saying the president is insensitive to the needs of senior citizens who need basic social protection.

Lawmakers, some of them candidates in the 2016 polls, have vowed to lead efforts to override the veto. Under the Constitution, Congress can override a presidential veto by passing the bill with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Roxas defended the president’s decision, saying it is not right to sacrifice the future of 31 million SSS members for political brownie points.

The presidential bet is open though to other proposals that will benefit SSS retirees.  He said such proposals include a one-time relief for retirees and medical assistance. 

“I’m not saying that they don’t need help. What we are saying is the help should be consistent with the goal to maintain the stability of the SSS fund,” Roxas said.

Roxas revealed that he and the president had discussed the issue informally but declined to elaborate.