Military retirees welcome initial release of P300 million for them

By Ronron
April 27, 2005

Retired Maj. Gen. Fortunato Abat of the Federation of Retired Commissioned and Enlisted Soldiers (FORCES) welcomed on Wednesday the instruction of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to release P300 million for the military retirees.

“We will accept that but there should be an agreement between the veterans and the government for the remainder of the claims. And they should agree that a writ of execution be made before a court for them (government) to fulfill their commitment,” Abat said in an interview.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz announced yesterday in Malacanang that Arroyo has approved the release to the Department of National Defense by June of this year a total of about P300 million for the retirees’ pensions and other benefits.

FORCES, along with the Young Enlisted Soldiers with Active and Retired Military for Solidarity (YES ARMS) and the Generals for the Constitution, is spearheading the crusade of some 300,000 military and police retirees for the payment of their pension and other benefits amounting to P17 billion.

Abat specifically pointed out that part of the agreement should state that government will pay the balance of the P17 billion in three tranches until 2009./DMS