70 – 80% ng enlisted personnel, gusto nang magretiro dahil sa pangamba sa bagong pension system – DND
Defense Senior Undersecretary at OIC Carlito Galvez Jr. during Senate hearing
Nagbabala si Defense Senior Undersecretary at Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Carlito Galvez Jr. nasa 70% hanggang 80% ng enlisted personnel ang nais magretiro ng maaga dahil sa agam-agam sa panukalang bagong pension system sa military and uniformed personnel.
Kabilang sa isinusulong sa panukala ang pag-a-alis ng automatic indexation sa pension at pagpapataw ng mandatory contributions sa military personnel.
Sa kaniyang opening statement sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Defense and Security, sinabi ni Galvez na sa isinagawang pakikipag-dayalogo sa mga kawani ng Department of National Defense (DND) at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) na mayorya ng mga nakapagsilbi na ng 20-taon ang balak nang mag-avail ng early retirement.
Sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang MUP Pension System, maaari nang mag-avail ng early retirement ang mga nakapag-serbisyo ng 20-taon.
“While we fully support the enactment of legislative measures to address the current issues hounding the pension system, the DND and the AFP respectfully appeals that the morale and welfare of our soldiers be given due weight in this deliberation. Considering that the near notion of modernizing our pension system, it created already some sort of apprehension,” pahayag ni Galvez na isa ring retiradong heneral.
“At present, mere discussions of proposals related to retirement benefits, most especially the imposition of the pensionable age, has already affected the morale and caused uneasiness not only from within the active ranks of the Armed Forces, but even from our veterans and retirees,” dagdag pa ng Defense official.
Tinututulan ng mga nasa defense at military service ang ipinapanukalang bagong sistema sa pension, partikular ang planong ibaba sa 18-buwan mula sa kasalukuyang 36-buwan ang tatanggaping lumpsum ng mga retiree.
“If this is still financially impossible, we are very amenable and open to modifications in the system so long as these are fair and equitable to the military and the MUP and also this is based on the financial soundness and scientific actuarial science,” pahayag pa ni Galvez.
Iginiit nila na kung magpapatupad ng reporma, dapat na masakop lamang nito ang mga bagong papasok sa sandatahang lakas.
Umapila si galvez sa mga mambabatas na ikunsidera ang moral at kapakanan ng mga uniformed personnel lalo na ang mga sundalong lumalaban at itinataya ang kanilang buhay para sa bayan.
“While we fully support the enactment of legislative measures to address the current issues hounding the pension system, the DND and the AFP respectfully appeals that the morale and welfare of our soldiers be given due weight in this deliberation. Considering that the near notion of modernizing our pension system, it created already some sort of apprehension,” paliwanag pa ni Galvez.
Apela ni Galvez, ikunsidera ng mga mambabatas na magkaroon ng “middle ground” para matiyak na mapo-protektahan din ang interes at kapakanan ng mga nasa uniformed service.
Sinabi ni Galvez na maging si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay nag-a-alala sa epekto ng panukala.
“The President also gave an instruction, that he is very much concerned on the impact of this MUP on the morale and welfare of our personnel and policemen and he wanted that there’s should be a continuous discussion to have the common ground,” Galvez said at a Senate hearing on the bills seeking to reform the current pension system for uniformed personnel,” dagdag na pahayag pa ni Galvez.
Meanne Corvera
