Press Release
August 17, 2015

Senate bats for survivorship benefits of Solicitor General's spouse

A bill granting survivorship benefits to the legitimate spouse of a deceased member of the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) was passed on third and final reading today.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2709, said the measure sought to ensure that the surviving legitimate spouse would receive all the retirement benefits due to the OSG official who retired or was in service at the time of his demise. The bill was co-authored by Sen. Chiz Escudero.

Trillanes said the legitimate spouse would receive on a monthly basis all the retirement benefits due to the deceased until he or she would marry or assume elective public office.

He said the survivorship pension for judges had been approved under Republic Act 9946 in 2009. However, he said, RA 9946 covered only members of the judiciary despite the recognition that certain members of the OSG have the same rank as judges.

He said Republic Act 9406 also provided for the survivorship benefits to the chief public attorney, deputy public attorney, regional public attorney, assistant public attorney and municipal district public attorney of the Public Attorney's Office.

"This measure is envisioned to respond to the aforesaid gap in the law by likewise affording the same benefits to the surviving legitimate spouse of a deceased member of the Office of the Solicitor General," Trillanes, chairman of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization, said.

Once enacted into law, he said the measure would cover a total of 203 officials from the OSG with judicial rank from the solicitor general, assistant solicitor generals, senior state solicitors and state solicitors.

"These benefits recognize and honor covered officials of the OSG who have not only rendered almost a lifetime of service but also risked their lives for the people and hopefully assist their family members who will be left behind," Trillanes said. (Apple Buenaventura)

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