Senate ratifies bicam report on law increasing disability pension of military veterans

The Senate on Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the measure seeking to increase the disability pension of military veterans and their dependents.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairperson of the Senate committee on national defense and security, peace, unification, and reconciliation, sponsored Senate Bill No. 1480 and House Bill No. 7939, or the proposed “Rationalizing the Disability Pension of Veterans Act”.

Estrada said there were only “minor differences” in the version of the two chambers, as the House agreed to use the Senate version as the working draft.

He also said Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted which simplified and clarified the provision on who will be entitled to the Total Administrative Disability pension of P1,700.

This will cover the veterans who have reached the age of 70 but have not been receiving any disability pension, he added.

Under the bill, the disability base rate for military veterans who have been rendered disabled in the line of duty will be raised to P4,500 from the current P1,000.

Veterans who are receiving P1,700— the highest disability rating will be receiving P10,000 or an increase of P8,300, equivalent to 488%. The P500 monthly pension for the spouse and each unmarried minor child will likewise be adjusted to P1,000.

“Para sa mga beterano nating mga sundalo at kanilang pamilya, malaking tulong sa kanilang arawang gastusin ang pagtaas ng kanilang buwanang disability pension,” Estrada said in a statement.

(For veteran military personnel and their families, raising the monthly disability pension will greatly help with their daily expenses.)

“Ang kasalukuyang natatanggap nila na may halaga na lang na P287 ay hindi sapat kahit man lang para makapanood sila ng sine. Paano pa kaya kung ipambibili nila ito ng kanilang gamot? Kaya makatwiran lamang na ibigay natin ang nararapat na benepisyo na utang natin sa kanila,” he added.

(The current P287 daily budget is not sufficient even for a movie ticket. What more if they will use it for medical expenses? It is only right to provide them with benefits.)—AOL, GMA Integrated News