I, along with some of my colleagues, have filed proposed legislation to address the fiscal hemorrhage that the current pension system for military and uniformed personnel retirees is causing our government coffers.
Indeed, we are facing a ballooning pension requirement without viable funding sources. The MUP pensions are way higher than the budgetary requirement for the base pay of active soldiers and policemen.
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.
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. 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.
Still on the table 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. 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.
