Finally, dead prosecutor gets retirement pay

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MANILA, Philippines—Almost two years after his retirement and a month after his death, a government prosecutor will finally receive his retirement pay which was supposed to be used for his medical treatment.

Cadiz City Prosecutor Marcelo del Pilar and 84 other prosecutors who retired between 2010 and 2011 will finally receive their retirement pay.

Del Pilar,  who retired on July 15, 2011, and died of heart attack on April 4, 2013, was waiting for his retirement pay which his family was planning to use for his medical treatment and for saving their house in Bacolod City which was up for foreclosure as well as their auto loan.

In a memorandum dated May 17, 2013, Assistant Secretary for Finance Zabedin Azis and Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) already released P246.795 million to cover the retirement gratuity differential of the 85 retired prosecutors.

Del Pilar will be getting P4.135 million.

The DoJ said the DBM and GSIS signed on April 15, 2013, a joint circular that will address the issue on the retirement benefits of prosecutors under Republic Act 10071, or the Act Strengthening and Rationalizing the National Prosecution Service.

As early as Aug. 13, 2012, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima sent a letter to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad requesting for the issuance of the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) and notice of cash allocation (NCA) to cover payment gratuity of prosecutors who compulsorily/optionally retired from the government service.

Then, on April 3, 2013, the same request was resubmitted to the DBM.