MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has terminated the payment of pension for more than 18,000 former members of the defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC) who joined the Philippine National Police (PNP) and retired.
This decision was relayed by Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado in an official communication to Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) administrator and Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina on Nov. 14.
For the last 30 years, a total of 18,651 former PC personnel who retired as members of the PNP, have been receiving P5,000 monthly pension each from PVAO.
The non-release of their pension this month has prompted PVAO to request DBM to release an additional fund amounting to P245,444,000 to cover the November pension for all former PC military veterans.
“Their absorptions to the PNP were due to the exercise of their option to transfer to the PNP as provided by Republic Act No. 6975. Hence, their entitlements to receive and enjoy the benefits of being military veterans as defined in Republic Act No. 6948, as amended shall no longer be applicable,” Avisado in his letter to Carolina said.
RA 6975 is an act establishing the PNP under a reorganized Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) while RA 6948 is an act standardizing and upgrading the benefits for military veterans and their dependents.
PVAO’s request to DBM for the release of additional funds cited as its basis RA 6948, which states this financial benefit is distinct and separate from the retirement pension received by retirees of the PNP.
A group of former PC and now retired police personnel, meanwhile, questioned the sudden termination of their monthly pension.
They said Avisado’s unilateral decision to terminate their pension from PVAO is highly irregular, pointing out that for the last 30 years they have been receiving such extra financial benefits.
“Individually or collectively, we are planning to file a case before the Office of the Ombudsman or even sue him before the civilian court,” one former PC major who retired as PNP officer, said.
He pointed out that under the law, a financial benefit that has been given and enjoyed for so many years could not just be terminated without a court order.
In the case of the termination by DBM of the veterans’ pension of more than 18,000 former PC members, he said that it did not pass through the legal process.
Carolina, in requesting DBM for additional funds to cover the pension of former PC veterans, also pointed out the now dissolved military unit was a formerly constituted major service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
These former constabulary veterans have accumulated at least six years of military service and therefore under the law are classified as military veterans, PVAO said.
But Avisado remains firm on his decision, citing among other reasons, that they ceased to be members of the military when they opted to join the PNP.
“We concur that the PC was once part of the major services of the AFP before its cessation upon the enactment of RA 6975. The provision of RA 6975 clearly mentioned that the PC, which is the nucleus of the Integrated PC-Integrated National Police (PC-INP), shall cease to be a major service of the AFP,” Avisado said.
He likewise emphasized that based on the DBM interpretation of the law, the criteria of a veteran as defined by RA 6948 as amended, require not only rendering at least six years of military service in the AFP but also separation or honorable discharged from the service.
“Pursuant to Rule 10 of the 2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resources Actions, ‘separation’ from the service includes resignation, dismissal, dropping from the rolls, termination/expiration of temporary, coterminous, contractual or casual appointment, retirement or death,” Avisado, in a letter to Carolina, said.
While DBM acknowledges that both PC personnel who retired as police personnel earned at least six years of military service, Avisado said, the requirement of honorable discharge or separation after accumulation of active service may not have been met.
If PVAO will still request for evaluation for DBM to reconsider its decision, Avisado advised Carolina to submit the military records, general orders or the basis of entitlements of each former constabulary pensioners.