Volume XXXIX, No. 131 a Tuesday, April2,2019 I P10.

00

I Srqp u'ell as the pension for military retirees

$
and- ot.her personnel after it allegedly -cut down
em, *llfjlr|.llv so-me p8_B biuion ?""ri inl zorg
 test not only of constitu- the program will lose following: Pension of size that the details of
/a\\ rtA\'tI booality and lega1ity, but
also of transprrency aod
their scholarship this Armed Forces of the
year; Departmetrt of Philippines (AIP) retir-
these budget cuts were
not firlly iliscussed in the
. accountability," Andaya Enviionment arld Natu- ees; war or military vet- bieameral conference
From page 1 explained. ral Resources (DENR)- erans of the Department comm;ttee. T'l'e senators
He said the items tak- P2.254 billion for Nation- of National Defense unilaterally decided on
"It is the Senate that en out of the 2019 na- al (DND); retired uni- the budget cut6 and re-
may find itself liable to tional budget by the Sen- Greeniog Program, formed personnel of the aligned them to other
accusation of sabotage ate include, but not lim- Department of Interior items based on request
which resulted in 50 per-
when it decided, unilat- ited r,o, rhe following: De- cent budget cut for all and Local Government of individual proponents.
erally, to cul, down the partmeot of Tra;spor- PENROS except Antique; (DILG), PC-INP, NAM- Up to now, the. Senate
allocation for the Prcsi- tation (DOTi) - P5-billiotr Departmept of Foreign RIA aad Pbilippine Coast has yet to male public a
dent's Build, Build. Build for risht-of-way projecl,s; Atrairs (DFAI-P7.5 bil- Guard (PCG); and other detailed report on the
Program and other pri- Depailment irt'pirUtic lion budget for South retirees of the national proponents who recom-
ority projects. We are Works and Highways East Asian (SEA) Games government, mended the individual
confiilent that the Office (DPWH) - P11.033-billion tal€n out, but P5 billion "Retirement benefits realignments," said AII-
of the President would for rightof-way pmjects; transferred to Philippine for optional ietirees of daya.
consider these items in Foreign Assisted Projects Sports Commission (PSC) the national govemment; Andaya said the 2019
their review and find (FAP) ulder DPWI{, P2.5 and P2.5 billion nowhere retired personnel of General Appropriations
ways on how to restore bjllioo: and others. to be found; Miscella- GOCCs (qovernment- Bill (GAB) has been
them in the Presideol's "Depriving l,be gov- neous Personnel Benefit owned and controlled transmitted for signa-
veto message," said Ca- ernment with funds for Fuld IMPBF) - P13.,1.bil- corporations ) which are ture of -President Du'
marines Sur Rep. Rolan- right-of-way and ol,her lion. flnancially unable to pay terte, and we eipect it
do "Nono/ Andlaya. Jr., inTrastructirre projects Andaya explained said benefits; and per- to be signed after the
the panel chairmiaa. will surely hampei lhe that the MPBF is one of sonnel devolved to LGIls. Offrce of the President
Andaya said 'the implemeniation of lbe three sources of money Separation bdnefits or has wrapped up its. re-
House of Representa- President's Build, Build, paid to government per- incentives of affected view of the veto mes;
tives never made a move Build Program. Con- sonnel, adding that the personnel pursuant to sage.
to reduce the 2019 bud- struction on priority other two are the bud- the implementation of: (i) "We resr'ec-r *'e veto
get for infrastrucl,ure proiects includirig masi gets lodged under each restructuring of agencies power of tfie President,
projects as appropriated transit and railwav s.'/s- agency anil the"+ensioB affected by the integra- arid we are convinced
in the Nalional Expen- tems will be mosllv af- and Giatuity tion and auinmation of that he will exercise
diture Program (NEP'." fected." said Andaya. Fund.Under Special Pro- the Budget Treasury and such authority for the
"In fact:the House in- Andava also saiid that vision No. 1, Andaya said Management System and benefit of the nation and
troduced amendments the Sendle allegerlly took the MPBF may be used the operationalization of of our people. Never-
increasing the budget for away the budglt of the for "deficiencies in au- the Treasurv Sinsle Ac- theless, we wish to clar-
infrastructLrrp pro_iects Tecbnjcal Education a-od thorized salaries, bonus- count; and fi;t ;lghts;r- ify allegatiods from the
without breaching the Skills DevelopmeDt Au- es, allowances, associat- ing, merger, streamlin- Senate that the amend-
tol,al amounl peggid by thoritv TTESDA)--P3-bi|- ed premiurns and other ing, abolition or privati- ments introduced by the
the National ExpendjLure lion for scholarsbip of sirnilar personnel bene- zation," said Andaya. House of Representa-
Progranl. This would al- rebel returnees, oul-of- frts of national govern- "Monetization of leave tives in the bicameral
low tbe Executive De- school youlhs and reha- ment personnel..,." credits of national gov- conference committee
parlment to spur eco- bilitaiing drug depen- He said the Senate ernment personnel and meetings were meant to
nomic growth through dents etlrllled inder the also allegedly removed transferred leave credits debilitate the Executive
increased public expen- Universal Access to Ter- the Pension and Gratu- of those devolved to the Department in imple-
diture. We made sure tiarv Education. As a ity Fund in the amount LGUs (local government menting the President's
however thal, such resu-lL. at least 320,OOO of P39-billion, which cov- units)." pdority proglams and
amendments will pass the stude;ts enrolled under ers the paj.ment. for the "We wish to empha- projects," said Andaya.

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