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Republic of the Philippines Ven
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SF RECEIVE

Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No. 6 78

Introduced by Magdalo Party-List Representatives
Hon. Gary C. Alejano and Hon. Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The Constitution recognizes the perils that our military personnel face in the conduct of their
duties to the country. The Constitution requires the State to provide immediate and adequate
care, benefits, and other forms of assistance to members of the Armed Forces, their spouse and
their dependents. Likewise, other uniformed personnel are also exposed to other dangers in the
conduct of their functions and duties.

Aside from the AFP, members of the PNP, the BFP, the BJMP, the NBI, PDEA, and the PCG,
are tasked with the unenviable task of maintaining peace and order, the protection of life, liberty,
and property. The risks involved in the performance of their duties puts in peril the welfare of
their families should something unfortunate happen to them.

Thus, it is but adequate for the government to provide dependents of the above-mentioned
personnel appropriate benefits should they be killed or permanently incapacitated while
performing their duty. This proposed measure seeks to provide educational scholarships to the
surviving children or beneficiaries of the abovementioned government personnel so that they can
perform their duties with peace of mind for the welfare of their families.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly requested.

x

GARY @. ALEJANO HON. F! CISCO ASHLEY L. ACEDILLO

KC
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No,__ 6.178

Introduced by Magdalo Party-List Representatives
Hon. Gary C. Alejano and Hon, Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo

AN ACT

GRANTING EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS TO THE DEPENDENTS
OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES (AFP),
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP), BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION (BFP),
BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY (BJMP), NATIONAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION (NBI), PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (PDEA),
PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD (PCG) AND BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS (BUCOR)
WHO ARE KILLED OR PERMANENTLY INCAPACITATED WHILE IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTY OR BY REASON OF THEIR OFFICE OR
POSITION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Uniformed Personnel

Educational Assistance and Benefits Act of 2015”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared policy of the State to
recognize the vital role of the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine
National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology (BJMP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in the
maintenance of peace and public order in our country and to ensure that the dependents of those
who are killed in action or are permanently incapacitated while in the performance of their duty

or by reason of their office or position are provided with educational assistance and benefits.

SECTION 3. Permanent incapacity; Definition. - Permanent Incapacity shall refer to
physical or mental ill-health or infirmity which is: (i) permanent, (ii) prevents a member from

pursuing his normal employment, and (iii) seriously impairs his earning capacity.


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SECTION 4. Grant of Educational Assistance and Benefits. - All the surviving children

of the members of the AFP, PNP, BFP, BIMP, NBI, PDEA, PCG and BuCor who are killed or
permanently incapacitated while in the performance of their duty or by reason of their office or
position shall automatically and without qualification be extended full scholarship from
elementary to tertiary level whether baccalaureate, formal or non-formal education or training
program in a non-exclusive school or institution. The scholarship privilege shall include, but

shall not be limited to, payment of tuition and miscellaneous fees, allowance for books and

school supplies and allowance for food and transportation.

SECTION 5. Uniformed Personnel Scholarship Board. - The scholarship funds collected
hereunder shall be managed and administered by an inter-agency scholarship board to be known as the
Uniformed Personnel Scholarship Board, which shall be created and formally organized within thirty (30)
days from the effectivity of this Act. The Board shall be composed of the Secretary of the Department of
the Interior and Local Government and Secretary of the Department of National Defense as Co-chairmen

and one (1) member each to represent the AFP, PNP, BFP, BJMP, NBI, PDEA, PCG and BuCor.

‘The Board shall serve as the policy making body vested with the authority to come-up with the
mechanies, scope and limitations, and requirements for scholarship program pursuant to the objectives of
this Act. The Board shall, however, delegate the responsibility to implement the screening, admission,
disqualification and other scholarship-related availment processes to the respective scholarship bodies of
the AFP, PNP, BFP, BJMP, NBI, PDEA, PCG and BuCor, in accordance with the guidelines to be

prescribed by the Board.

SECTION 6. Authority to accept donations; Tax exemption. - The Board shall have the
authority to accept donations, contributions, grants in cash or in kind, from appropriate sources,
domestic or foreign. Said donations shall be used exclusively to complement the funding
requirements of the scholarship program subject to the existing government accounting and
auditing rules and regulations; Provided, That any donation, contribution or financial aid which
may be made to the Board shall be exempt from taxes of any kind and shall constitute allowable

deductions in full from the income of the donors, contributors or givers for income tax purposes.


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Furthermore, the Board is authorized to invest so much of the idle funds as may be necessary for

the purpose of generating additional revenue for the benefit of the scholarship program.

SECTION 7. Appropriation, - The amount necessary to fund the educational assistance
and benefits specified above shall be included in the respective annual budgets of the AFP, PNP,
BFP, BJMP, NBI, PDEA, PCG and BuCor to be enacted as part of the annual General
Appropriations Act; Provided, That any deficiencies in the financial requirements may be taken
from savings on the personal services of the AFP, PNP, BFP, BJMP, NBI, PDEA, PCG and

BuCor and the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Funds (MPBF); Provided, further, That the

Uniformed Personnel Scholarship Board may, consistent with Sec. 5 of this Act, identify,

develop and/or generate additional sources of funds to further support this scholarship program.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Uniformed Personnel
Scholarship Board herein created shall formulate and issue, within sixty (60) days from its

creation, the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held illegal, invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and

subsisting.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Presidential Decree No. 577 is hereby repealed. RA 6963 and

all other laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative
orders, rules and regulation or parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of

this Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the country or in the Official Gazette,

Approved,