House panel OKs bill granting pensioners equal rights

The House special committee on senior citizens on Thursday approved a measure seeking to grant all pensioners equal rights, benefits, and privileges. 

During a panel meeting, House Bill 9773 or the proposed Pensioners' Equal Benefits Act, authored by Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas, was approved. 

The bill stated that pensioners, who had been deprived of benefits which should have been accrued to them, shall be granted with these privileges. This includes the pensioners under Republic Act 7699 who were denied annual Christmas cash gifts and the right to get pension increase.

"This bill seeks to correct the discrimination and to right the diminution of the pensioners' benefits, especially that RA 7699 expressly prohibits any diminution. This proposed legislation seeks to grant pensioners under RA 7699, the annual cash gift, and the right to get increase in pension," Vargas said.

The bill was approved by the panel despite the apprehensions of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

"We also express reservations on the bill considering that the cash gift is not really part of the benefits granted under Republic Act 8291," GSIS vice president for legal affairs Lucio Yu Jr. said.

The Departments of Budget and Management and Finance will submit position papers on the matter. — VBL, GMA News