MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the government agencies to study prevailing separation benefits of government troops who sustained permanent disability while they were on duty.
According to the Chief Executive, the Department of National Defense, the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Finance must make the review to see if the benefits are commensurate with the sacrifices they have made for the country.
“I am directing the defense, budget, and finance departments to study the existing separation benefits of soldiers who incurred total permanent disability in the line of duty to see if these are commensurate to the sacrifices that they have made,” he said.
“(They must also) submit the recommendations while taking stock of the national government’s position,” President Marcos added during his speech in Pilar, Bataan.
President Marcos last year signed into law the Republic Act No. 11958 or An Act Rationalizing the Disability Pension of Veterans, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 6948, entitled An Act Standardizing and Upgrading the Benefits for Military Veterans and their Dependents, as Amended.
Under the said law, a veteran who is disabled owing to sickness, disease, wounds, or injuries sustained in the line of duty shall be given a monthly disability pension according to the prescribed rates.
In the same speech, President Marcos has also ordered the Defense department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to assess the supply of the country’s military equipment.
“We must also ensure their safety by procuring the right equipment. I therefore task the DND and AFP to assess and submit a report on the responsiveness of the current inventory of military supplies and equipment,” Marcos said.
“These measures aim to show our unwavering support to our soldiers as they face new and growing challenges,” he added. “Ours is a complicated world today, but we must not yield. We must not back down from any and all challenges that seek to threaten our peace, our honor, and our very existence.”/PN
