Duterte releases P4.7B for AFP retirees, war vets’ widows

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered the release of  P4.7 billion to financially aid retired soldiers as well as widows of World War II veterans.

“Those who are not paid by the previous administrations, actually all of them, for release is P4.7 billion for the payment for the total administrative disability (TAD) arrears for widows of deceased World War II veterans and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) retirees who are 80 years old and above,” Duterte said during his speech at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

The President said P3.5 billion would be for the widows of veterans while P1.2 would be for military retirees.
He said the joint implementing rules and regulation (IRR) for the release of the fund has already been signed by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Duterte said the amount was already in the 2016 budget but was withheld by the previous administration.

Diokno said the fund was probably withheld due to the election ban.

“Okay na iyan noong time ni President (Benigno) Aquino (III) pero hindi nila na-release. Siguro naabutan sila – kasi alam mo naman kapag may eleksyon, may ban (It was already okay during the time of President Aquino but it wasn’t released. Maybe they were overtaken by the election ban),” he told reporters in a chance interview at the sidelines of the commemoration of the National Heroes Day in Taguig City. JE/rga

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