The invoice limiting the protection of the mounted three-year time period within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will obtain “strong support” from senators, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri mentioned Saturday.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the invoice could be permitted by the chamber.
“Malakas ang kutob ko na maipapasa po ito… Even in our chat group, we discussed it and may mga favorable comment ang mga kasamahan natin, even former [Police] General Bato (dela Rosa), nung kinausap ko po siya, ‘yung kanyang suggestion nga AFP chief of staff lang,” Zubiri mentioned in a radio interview.
“I think we will get strong support, because if we are going to base it on the only military man in the Senate, Senator dela Rosa, ay gusto rin po n’yang amyendahan ang batas na ‘yan,” he added.
Earlier, Zubiri mentioned the Senate aimed to go the invoice amending Republic Act 11709 throughout the first quarter of 2023.
RA 11709, which grants three-year mounted phrases for key AFP officers, together with the chief of workers, was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte months earlier than he stepped down from workplace.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has already licensed House Bill 6517, which seeks to amend RA 11709, as pressing.
Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. admitted final Tuesday that there have been rumblings throughout the navy ranks as a result of “unintended consequences” of RA 11709.
He mentioned they wished to resolve the unrest inside AFP on or earlier than the tip of first quarter of 2023.
Meanwhile, Zubiri mentioned that the Senate would prioritize a invoice searching for to determine a navy pension fund much like the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as he expressed concern in regards to the massive share of pensions for retired AFP personnel within the annual nationwide price range.
“We are paying more now for the pensions of retired military personnel than active military personnel. Mas malaki na po at galing po yan sa General Appropriations Act…We should come up with a GSIS system or SSS system for our military pensioners,” he mentioned.
“It’s a priority on our part in the Senate, in my administration in the Senate, to come up with this kind of bill that we will help come up with a pension fund similar to GSIS so that their pension funds are secured and this pension fund like in the GSIS, it can be invested,” he added. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
