Imelda getting pension as widow of war vet, Medal of Valor awardee

In this August 2011 photo, Imelda Marcos, who built the Cultural Center of the Philippines when she was first lady in the 1970s to showcase Filipino culture and arts, reads her statement of disgust over a controversial and “blasphemous” CCP art exhibit. INQUIRER PHOTO

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos has been receiving pension from the government since 1994 for being a surviving spouse of a war veteran and a Medal of Valor awardee.

According to Solicitor General Jose Calida, the former first lady has been getting P5,000 monthly pension since April 9, 1994, for being a surviving spouse of a deceased World War II veteran pursuant to Republic Act No. 6948 or the act standardizing and upgrading the benefits for military veterans and their dependents.

During the second round of oral arguments on the question of whether her husband, former President Ferdinand Marcos, should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Calida said aside from the P5,000 allowance, Mrs. Marcos had also been receiving P20,000 monthly from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as a surviving spouse of a Medal of Valor awardee.

Calida said it was proof that the military acknowledges that the late dictator was a former soldier who fought during World War II.

A Medal of Valor (Medalya ng Kagitingan) is the country’s highest military honor awarded for acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.

Under RA 9049, a Medal of Valor awardee is entitled to a lifetime monthly gratuity of P20,000 that is separate and distinct from any salary or pension the awardee is receiving from the government.

The same law provides that “that in the event of death of the awardee, the same shall accrue in equal shares and with the right of accretion to the surviving spouse.”

Marcos received a medal of valor award through General Order 167.

Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro asked if a Medal of Valor recipient could be stripped of the award.

“Once the Medal of Valor is awarded, it cannot be diminished. It cannot be nullified, it is a fait accompli (thing that has already happened) already,” Calida said.