Retired gov’t lawyers may claim benefits due

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima: P52.7 million for retired prosecutors. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Thirteen retired government prosecutors who bowed out of the service in 2011 may now claim their retirement gratuity differentials, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said over the weekend.

De Lima, in a statement, said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) forwarded to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 26 the special allotment release order (Saro) in the amount of P52,771,683 to cover the retirement gratuity differentials of the retired prosecutors.

Justice Undersecretary Leah Armamento, Assistant Secretary for Finance Zabedin Asis, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano and the DOJ personnel division negotiated with the DBM and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the release of the cash allocation.

Development 

Earlier last month, the DBM released P241 million for the pension differentials of 109 prosecutors who had retired between 1992 and 2008.

“We welcome this as a great development for the DOJ, particularly the National Prosecution Service. Our prosecutors had relentlessly dedicated their services to the cause of justice,” De Lima said in a statement.

Republic Act No. 1007 or the Prosecution Service Act of 2010 provides for a new way of computing the retirement benefits due public prosecutors. The law, which is retroactive, increases the retirement pay levels of the various ranks of prosecutors.

Criticism 

The DOJ, DBM and GSIS drew criticism last year for the delay in the release of the prosecutors’ retirement pay.

In April 2013, ailing Cadiz City prosecutor Marcelo del Pilar, 66, died of a heart attack just weeks after writing Malacañang to appeal for the release of his pension that was due him upon his retirement in July 2011.

His family said his condition may have been aggravated by stress because their property was up for foreclosure and Del Pilar was behind in his auto loan due to mounting hospital bills.

The government did not explain the reason behind the delay.