Trillanes wants scholarships for the children of maimed, slain servicemen

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Sunday that he was pushing for a law which would provide educational assistance and benefits to dependents of soldiers and law enforcement officers who were either injured or killed in the line of duty.

“Our uniformed and law enforcement personnel place their lives on the line every day," Trillanes said in an emailed statement.

"It is, thus, only fair for the government to give preference and priority to their welfare and of their families, especially when something untoward happens in the performance of their duty."

Under Senate Bill No. 1463, surviving children of the deceased or permanently incapacitated members of the following services would receive a scholarship grant:

• Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
• Philippine National Police (PNP),
• Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP),
• Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP),
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),
• Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA),
• Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and
• Bureau of Corrections (BOC).

The scholarship will include the payment of tuition and miscellaneous fees, allowance for books, school supplies, food, and transportation from kindergarten to the tertiary level.

“Passing this measure is the least we can do as a token of our eternal gratitude for our uniformed and law enforcement personnel’s unwavering commitment and their life of service to the country,” Trillanes explained. — DVM, GMA News