Manila Times, Apr. 4, 2019, No Pension Budget Cuts - Lacson.pdf

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BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

ue to peddle lies to confuse the public, all

EN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Wednesday allayed fears of retired military and uniformed personnel that their pension would be cut amid allegations that the Senate slashed the budget

for the pension and gratuity fund of uniformed

\

nersonnel.

r

contmry 'Our retired military and uniformed and personnel will get the much-deserved

The senator said that on the he sought an increase in the pension $atuity fund inthe 2019 P3.757-tdllion

j

,

budget bill. 'national Lacson said he asked that the pen-

sion fund be increased by

veterans.

Heand Sen. Cregorio "Cringo"

Hona-

san 2nd co-authored Senate Joint Resolution 1 authorizing the increase in the

penonnel.

House Appropriations Committee

Chairman REp. RolandoAndajalr earlier ' clairned the Senate slashed the budgets ofseveral govemment agencies; induding the military's allocation lor the p€nsion and gratuity fund. Lacson advised pensioners to be wary of fake news.

base

payofmilirary and uniformed

in their pension rctroactivel),

once President Rodrigo Duterte siSns the budget bill into law' Lacson said.

P876.42

million to fund the P15,000 increase in old-age pension of 4,869 senior

.

increase

to

'porkl lt's worse if the-v clairn they are doing this in the name of nansparency. Fake news na, fake transparency, pa (lt's not only fake news, it's fake transparency too), " keep their

he said.

He darified that not one of the amendments he proposed to the budget bill involved budget cuts for the pension of military and uniformed personnel. Iacson also sought an increase ofP666.2 million for the Veterans Memorial Medical Centels (VMMC) 2019 budget, so it can acquire medicines for

iLs

parients.

'The VMMC said the price index for medicines went up, and this will affect .its service to its patients,' the senator explained. Lacson admitted seeking a cut in the appropriations for Road Right of Way in the Department of ttblic Worla and Highways' budget because the agdncy said it did not need the amount.