Amendments to C.A. No. 605 Re: Pensions for Veterans of Past Philippine Revolutions or Wars

June 17, 1950

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 539

AN ACT TO AMEND COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED AND FIVE ENTITLED "AN ACT TO PROVIDE PENSIONS FOR VETERANS OF THE PAST PHILIPPINE REVOLUTIONS OR WARS, TO CREATE A BOARD ON PENSIONS FOR VETERANS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS THEREOF"

SECTION 1. Sections one, two, three and nineteen of Commonwealth Act Numbered Six hundred and five are hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 1. The veterans of the past Philippine revolutions or wars, over sixty years of age, shall be entitled to a monthly lifetime pension in the amount and at the time and manner specified in section three.

"SEC. 2. In case of death of a veteran pensioner, or an applicant for a pension to which he is entitled, the accrued and uncollected pension up to the date of his death shall be paid to the widow, or in default thereof, to his lawful children.

"Where there are no lawful children, the payment of the pension in arrears shall not be authorized except such part thereof as may be necessary for the payment or refund to the party concerned of the expenses for burial and last illness of the deceased.

"Notwithstanding the death of the pensioner, or the applicant for a pension to which he is entitled, the widow, or in default thereof, the lawful children, shall be entitled to continue receiving the pension, and paid at the time and in the manner provided in section three of this Act until they reach the age of sixteen. "

"SEC. 3. For the proper administration of this Act, there shall be a Board on Pensions for Veterans to be composed of five members, all of whom shall be former veterans of the past Philippine revolutions or wars, who are not affiliated to any political group or party and who are competent and of good moral reputation, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments: Provided, however, That if the required number of veterans of such qualifications is not available, the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments shall appoint as many public officials as are necessary to complete the necessary number of persons to constitute the Board and shall, in either case, designate one among them as the Chairman of the Board. The Board shall have a secretary who shall be designated by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Board. The Board shall formulate its own rules of procedure, determine the persons who are entitled to a pension under this Act, classify them according to their ranks in the past revolutions or wars, and fix, with the approval of the President of the Philippines, the pension to be assigned to each rank. Such rules shall determine, among other things, the manner the pensions shall be paid, in order to protect the government as much as possible against possible falsifications, and assure that the pensions reach the hands of the pensioner: Provided, however, That the monthly pension which may be granted by the Board shall not be less than thirty pesos nor more than one hundred pesos, and distributed according to each rank as follows:

"For private, not less than thirty pesos; for corporal, not more than thirty-five pesos; for sergeant, not more than forty pesos; for second lieutenant, not more than forty-five pesos; for first lieutenant, not more than fifty pesos; for captain, not more than fifty-five pesos; for major, not more than sixty pesos; for lieutenant colonel, not more than eighty pesos, for colonel, not more than one hundred pesos, payable at the end of each month. The members of the Board who are at the same time public officials, shall render services without additional compensation, but the other members and the secretary of the Board shall receive a per diem of ten pesos for every session actually attended by them." aisa dc

"SEC. 19. There is authorized to be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of one million pesos, or so much thereof as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. This appropriation, however, shall have the character of a mere advance payment, and any sum spent chargeable thereto shall be refunded from the special fund created by Commonwealth Act Numbered Five hundred and forty-six, known as 'the Veterans of the Philippine Revolutions or Wars Pension Fund.' The Board on Pensions for Veterans is authorized with the approval of the President of the Philippines, to set aside a part of the funds herein appropriated, or of the 'The Veterans of Philippine Revolutions or Wars Pension Funds' for the payment of salaries of the personnel, transportation expenses and per diem of investigators, furniture, equipment and office supplies."

SECTION 2. Section thirteen of Commonwealth Act Numbered Six hundred and five is hereby repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 17, 1950

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 46, No. 10, p. 4769 in October 1950