Senate OKs on third and final reading Ombudsman retirement bill

The Senate approved on third and final reading Monday a bill seeking to increase the retirement benefits of the officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Senate Bill 1762, sponsored by Senator Richard Gordon, is intended to make the retirement benefits of the employees of the Office of the Ombudsman at par with that of the Judiciary, the National Prosecution Service and the Public Attorney’s Office which had been upgraded in recent years in recognition of their contribution to the dispensation of justice in the country.

The bill applies to the Ombudsman, his or her deputies, the special prosecutor, and all officials and employees from salary grade 26 to 29 who are performing legal, prosecution, investigation, and corruption prevention functions, and whose position requires membership in the Philippine Bar or a Master’s degree.

It states the Ombudsman shall enjoy the same retirement and other benefits as those of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals while deputies and special prosecutor shall enjoy the same retirement and other benefits as those of an Associate Justice of the CA, provided that he or she has served in such capacity for a full term of seven years, regardless of age or number of years in government.

All other officials and employees shall enjoy the same retirement and other benefits as those of the judges in the lower courts with the same salary grades.

The authors of the bill are Senators Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, Juan Edgardo Angara, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and Gordon.

“The retirement benefits of officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman have not been upgraded, they were overlooked. Considering the indispensable role of the Office of the Ombudsman in the suppression of graft and corruption, it is only appropriate to provide them with a competitive retirement scheme at par with other government officials and employees performing equally vital functions,” Gordon said in his sponsorship speech.

He added the low retirement benefits of the Office of the Ombudsman had resulted to an alarming exodus of investigators and prosecutors over the last 10 years.

He said the Office of the Ombudsman hired 180 officers in the past 10 years while 178 left the same period for other offices.

The bill states when an official or employee, who has rendered at least 15 years or service either in the Office of the Ombudsman or in any branch of government, retires for reaching the age of 65 or incapacity, he or she shall receive a retirement pension based on the highest monthly salary plus the highest monthly aggregate of transportation, living or representation allowance.

In case an official or employee dies while in the actual service, regardless of age and length of service, his or her heirs shall receive a lump sum of five years’ gratuity computed on the basis of the highest monthly salary plus the highest aggregate of transportation, living, and representation allowances.

However, if the deceased official or employee has rendered at least 15 years of government service, either in the Office of the Ombudsman or any branch of government, his or her heirs shall instead be entitled to a lump sum of 10 years gratuity.

The bill states no Ombudsman official or employee shall appear as counsel before any judicial or quasi-judicial agency in any civil case wherein the government or any agency is an adverse party, or in any criminal case wherein any officer or employee of government is accused of an offense  related to their office in order for them to be entitled to the benefits.

It further states that when an Ombudsman official or employee assume an elective post in government, he or she shall not, upon assumption of office and during tenure, receive  the monthly pension or any of the allowances due him or her. — RSJ, GMA News