Widow of police retiree sought over excess pension

MANILA, Philippines — Police are hunting the widow of a retired police officer to recover more than P500,000 in pension overpayments.

Col. Arthur Bisnar, director of the Philippine National Police Retirement and Benefits Administration Service, said Lucila De Mesa, wife of a retired police sergeant was found still receiving monthly pensions even after her husband’s death on Feb. 18, 2019.

The PNP said the monthly pension should have stopped in March 2019.

“From the time the pension should have stopped until May 2020, the suspect had withdrawn a total amount of P535,355.93 conferring to the certificate issued by the PNP Finance Service,” Bisnar said.

The PNP said criminal charges were filed against De Mesa on July 2.

—Nestor Corrales