SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 218B 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
GRANTING BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES TO FORMER PRESIDENTS AND VICE 
PRESIDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES OR THEIR SURVIVING SPOUSES, AMENDING 
FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5059, ~EPEALING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
2087, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Former Presidents and Vice Presidents do not cease in performing many of their public responsibiliti~s 
upon retirement. As fonner highest-ranking officers of the land, they have post-presidential and post-vice 
presidential duties to perform, among which are responding to post-presidency and post-vice presidency 
mail and invitations and attending to speaking engagements. In cognizance of these social obligations, 
existing legislations grant former presidents and their widows/widowers certain benefits and privileges. 
Aside from franking privilege, Republic Act No. 5059 mandates that a fanner president shall receive an 
annual pension of P40,000.00 while Republic Act No. 2087 allows for the former president's 
widow/widower to be entitled to an annual pension ofP24,000.00. 
The extent and coverage of said measures, however, is not enough to sufficiently respond to the nnique 
position of said former high officials in the public sphere even after they leave their post. At present, the 
country has three (3) living former presidents, all three of them receiving a monthly pension of 
P8,000.00.! In the United States, former presidents, under the Former Presidents Act of 1958, receive a 
monthly pension equivalent to the salary of a department secretary, among many other benefits. This was 
enacted to discourage them from being forced into activities deemed unsuitable for a former head of state. 
Moreover, said measures cater to the needs of former Presidents alone, excluding former Vice Presidents. 
This measure seeks to assist our former Presidents and Vice Presidents in the performance of their 
informal, ceremonial but nonetheless public duties, through the grant of benefits. and privileges that them 
andlor their surviving spouses, in effect expanding Republic Act No. 5059 and repealing Republic Act 
No. 2087. 
It is hoped that the passage of this measure shall honor our former state leaders with the benefits and 
privileges commensurate to their former pos,t as the highest officers in the land, and will maintain the 
dignity of the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President by ensuring that the former 
occupants thereof are properly taken cared of. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
~ 
'l:-.~--
ANTdNIO "S'QNNY"\F. TRILLANES IV 
. 
' 
Senator 
M. 
Villanueva. 
So 
you 
still 
want 
to 
be 
President 
of 
the 
Phi? 
Retrieved 
from 
http://www.phi1star.com/opinionl20 14/03/21 /1303393/so-you-still-want -be-president-ph1 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
'1 f, "I 
APR 21 
1\8 :56 
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SENATE 
S.No. 2189 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
GRANTING BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES TO FORMER PRESIDENTS AND VICE 
PRESIDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES OR THEIR SURVIVING SPOUSE, AMENDING 
FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5059, REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
2087, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted in the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This act shall be known as the "'Former Presidents and Vice 
Presidents' Benefits Act of 20 14". 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the state to maintain 
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the dignity of the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President and to honor 
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former presidents and vice presidents of the Republic by granting them certain benefits and 
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privileges that will allow them to perform the duties and functions often required of a former 
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President or Vice President. 
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SEC. 3. Eligibility. - All former presidents and vice presidents shall be entitled to the 
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benefits and privileges provided under this Act: Provided, That he/she was not removed from 
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office through impeachment; he/she has not been convicted by final judgment of any crime 
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involving corruption or moral turpitude; and, he/she has not accepted any appointive 
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employment and/or has not ran for any elective position in the,govemment after his term of 
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office as president of vice president. 
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SEC. 4. Benefits. - Each former president and vice president eligible under this Act shall 
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be entitled to the following benefits and privileges for the remainder of his/her life: 
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(a) Tax-free retirement pension equivalent to the salary of an incumbent department 
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secretary and incumbent department undersecretary for the former president and vice 
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president, respectively; 
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(b) Adequate personal security and protection to be provided by the Philippine National 
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Police '(PNP). The former president and vice president shall have the right to choose 
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the head of his/her own security detail; 
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(c) All mail matters of the former president and vice president addressed for delivery 
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within the Philippines shall be received, transmitted and delivered in the mails of tlie 
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Philippines free of postage if the envelope or wrapper of such mail matter bears on 
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the left hand comer the name of said former president or vice president; and 
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(d) Fifty percent (50%) discount on all public transportation for him and an aide or 
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accompanying person. 
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SEC. 5. Benefits extended to the immediatefamify. - The immediate family of the former 
president and vice president shall be entitled to the following benefits: 
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(a) Personal security and protection provided by the PNP for the children until they reach 
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the age of 21, and for the surviving spouse for the remainder ofhislher life or until 
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he/she re-marries; 
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(b) Full scholarship for the former presid'ent and vice president's children in any course 
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in any state colleges and/or uoiversities; 
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(e) In case of the former president's death, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to a tax-
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free retirement pension equivalent to the salary of an incumbent depruiment secretary: 
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Provided. That if such widow/widower of the former president re-marries, he/she 
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shall lose the benefits and privileges provided under this Act; 
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(f) In case of the former vice president's death, the widow/widower shall be entitled to a 
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tax-free retirement pension equivalent to the salary of an incumbent department 
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undersecretary: Provided, That if such widow/widower of the former vice president 
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re-marries, he/she shalllose the benefits and privileges provided under this Act; and 
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(c) All mail matters of such widow/widower, addressed for delivery within the 
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Philippines, shall be received, transmitted and delivered in the mails of the 
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Philippines free of postage if the envelope or wrapper of such mail matter bears on 
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the left upper comer his/her name. 
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SEC. 6. Appropriation. - The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this act 
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shall be included by the Department of Budget' and Management in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act (GAA). 
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SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision, section or part of this Act shall be 
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declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or impair any 
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other provisions, sections or parts hereof but shall be merely confined to the provision, section or· 
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part thereof that is directly involved in the issue upon which judgment has been rendered. 
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SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - Republic Act No. 2087 is hereby repealed accordingly. 
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Further, all laws, decrees, orders, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or other issuances 
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and parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, including but not limited to 
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Republic Act No. 5059, are likewise amended, modified or repealed accordingly. 
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SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspaper of general circulation'in the country or in the Official Gazette. 
Approved, 
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