PNP chief presses for budget approval

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. asked for President Arroyo’s intercession yesterday in connection with the approval of the proposed P3.537-billion PNP budget, which includes pensions for police retirees for fiscal year 2003.

In a formal letter to the President, Ebdane pointed out that the fiasco involving the police retirees’ pension fund may not be addressed properly should the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) release only P1.63 billion for the purpose.

Ebdane explained yesterday that there were no missing funds for retirees, contrary to earlier claims by Ret. Gen. Guillermo Domondon, president of the PNP Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI), that the P272-million fund intended for the adjustment of police retirees’ pensions from July to December was nowhere to be found.

"The real issue is that the money released by the DBM for total pension claims of police retirees was short by P625.95 million last year," Ebdane said.

Former PRAI president Ret. Gen. Wilfredo Reotutar also blamed the DBM for the continued delay in the full payment of pensions of police retirees.

"The DBM never released the P272 million for pension adjustments. What was released was not even enough to cover the regular pensions last year," Reotutar said.

The amount, he added, was not covered by any special allotment release order (SARO) specifically meant for pensions adjustments.

Ebdane said the DBM released only last year P1.357 billion intended for police retirees, short by P625.95 million.

"The released amount was actually 51 percent less than the required funding for 2002. This is expected to balloon further to P1.9 billion this year because the DBM only recommended P1.63 billion to pay the government’s obligation to 20,282 pensioners this year," he said.– Non Alquitran