REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7083

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 6963 was enacted into law in September 1990 and provides special financial
assistance to the families of soldiers, police, and firemen who are killed or permanently
incapacitated on the line of duty. The provision of this special financial assistance recognizes the
hazards that these personnel face, and acknowledges their, and their families, sacrifices in the
accomplishment of their mandated function.

RA No. 6963 grants this special financial assistance only to our soldiers, police, and firemen. In
reality, other uniformed and law enforcement personnel are exposed to a variety of hazards that
come with the conduct of their functions. Personnel from the BJMP, PCG, NBI, and the PDEA
likewise risk their life and limb in order to safeguard the safety and peace of all Filipinos. Hence,
the government should provide other deserving uniformed and law enforcement personnel the
same financial assistance that RA No. 6963 provides our soldiers, police, and firemen.

This proposed measure seeks to expand the coverage of RA No. 6963 to include other uniformed
and law enforcement personnel in its coverage. The proposed measure likewise creates a
Dependents Welfare Office to expedite the delivery of the financial services mandated herein.

It is high time that we promote the general welfare, and acknowledge the sacrifices made by our
uniformed and law-enforcement personnel by providing them, and their family, the much-needed
financial support in the event that they meet their untimely demise while fulfilling their function.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 7083

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

AN ACT

PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS GRANTED
TO BENEFICIARIES OF UNIFORMED AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL OF
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP), ARMED FORCES OF THE
PHILIPPINES (AFP), BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION (BFP) BUREAU OF JAIL
MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY (BJMP), PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD,
NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (NBD, BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS
(BUCOR), AND PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (PDEA), WHO ARE
KILLED OR PERMANENTLY INCAPACITATED WHILE IN THE PERFORMANCE
OF THEIR DUTY OR BY REASON OF THEIR OFFICE OR POSITION,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, REPEALING FOR TH PURPOSE
PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6963, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Uniformed and Law
Enforcement Personnel Special Financial Assistance Act."

SEC. 2. Scope. — The family or beneficiary of any Uniformed and Law Enforcement
Personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI, Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) assigned to or involved in a duly
authorized operation, who is killed or becomes permanently incapacitated while in the
performance of his/ her duty or by reason of his/ her office or position, provided he has not been
convicted by final judgment of any crime or human rights violations on such occasion, shall be
entitled to the special financial assistance provided for in this Act in addition to whatever
compensation, donation, insurance, gift, pension, grant, or any form of benefit which said
deceased or permanently incapacitated person or his family may receive or be entitled to.

For purposes of this act, Uniformed and Law Enforcement Personnel shall be construed
as personnel of the PNP, AFP, BFP, BJMP, PCG, NBI, PDEA, and BuCor who are directly,
regardless of which capacity, assigned to or involved in operations with real and immediate
threat to life or in routine duty with unexpected or imminent danger.

SEC. 3. Beneficiaries. The term “family” as used in this Act shall refer to the surviving
legal spouse and the Uniformed or Law Enforcement Personnel’s legitimate and illegitimate
children, or his or her parents, or brothers and sisters, or aunts and uncles, in that respective
order: Provided: That, if the uniformed personnel is a Muslim, the pertinent provisions of the
Code of Muslim Personal Laws (Shari'a) shall apply.


‘SEC. 4. Special Financial Assistance. — The special financial assistance referred to in
Section | hereof shall be that which is equivalent to the average six (6) months salary, including
allowances and bonuses, during the last twelve (12) months preceding the death of the personnel
which shall not be considered a part of the estate of the deceased and which shall be exempt from
attachment, garnishment or execution and from income and other taxes.

SEC. 5. Provision of Special Financial Assistance. — It shall be the duty of the cashier
or concerned service chief from whom the deceased or permanently incapacitated uniformed and
law enforcement personnel used to receive his/ her salary, within three (3) days from receipt of a
written certification from the concerned agency or bureau head, station or unit commander of the
fact of death or permanent disability or incapacity and the circumstances thereof, to deliver to the
beneficiaries such special financial assistance as stated in Section 3 hereof. In case of permanent
disability or incapacity, a certification by the proper medical officer designated by the Chief
PNP, or the Chief of Staff AFP, of the Chief of the BFP, or the Chief BJMP, or the Commandant
PCG, or the Director of the NBI, or the Director General of the PDEA, or the Director General of
BuCor as the case may be, is necessary for the payment of the aforesaid financial assistance.
Afier said payment, a report with the formal certificate of death or permanent incapacity shall be
submitted to the Secretary of National Defense, or the Secretary of Interior and Local
Government, or the Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary of Justice, or the PDEA
Director General, as the case may be.

SEC 6. Filling of Positions. — In order to assure the payment of the special financial
assistance referred to in this Act, without any need of any appropriation act or ordinance, the
payment shall come from the expected salary, allowances and bonus of the deceased or
permanently incapacitated uniformed and law enforcement personnel for the next six (6) months
after his/ her death or incapacity: Provided, That the position left vacant by the deceased or
permanently incapacitated uniformed and law enforcement personnel on account of death or
incapacity shall not be filled during the period of six (6) months: Provided, further, That if the
public welfare and interest so demand, as determined by the municipal or city mayor or
provincial governor, in case of a police personnel or BFP personnel, or by the Secretary of
National Defense, in case of a military personnel, or by the Secretary of Interior and Local
Government, in case of a BJMP personnel, or by the Secretary of Transportation, in case of a
PCG personnel, or by the Secretary of Justice, in case of a NBI or BuCor personnel, or by the
Director General of PDEA, in case of a PDEA personnel, the position left vacant by the deceased
personnel, or permanently incapacitated personnel may be filled without waiting for the
expiration of the six (6) months period earlier mentioned, in which case, the funds out of which
the special financial assistance already received by the family of the deceased or permanently
incapacitated personnel shall be replenished out of the emergency savings of the municipality,
city or province, or the department, upon the direction in writing by the municipal or city mayor
or governor of the province, or department secretary, to their respective treasurers or cashiers:
Provided, finally, That, in the event of such emergency, and no emergency savings as provided
herein exist, the regional chief or the provincial chief, as the case may be, may draw
augmentation personnel from any municipality in the province or region to fill up the vacancy
until such time that the municipality where the vacancy occurred can fill up such vacancy with
regular personnel.

SEC. 7. Hospitalization Expenses. — If any uniformed personnel is injured or wounded
or in any manner suffers any injury in the performance of his official duties, the hospitalization
expenses, including necessary medicines and medical equipment, of such uniformed personnel
shall be shouldered by the office where he/ she belongs, chargeable against the salary savings of
such office without the need of any appropriation act or ordinance.

SEC. 8. Priority in Civil Service. — The surviving spouse or designated beneficiary of the
deceased or permanently incapacitated uniformed personnel shall be given priority in
employment in a government agency or office as long as the beneficiary satisfies the
qualification requirements of the vacant position. The agency shall ensure compliance with R.A.

2


No. 7041, Provided, That, if the spouse is already employed or not employable or if he/ she
waives such employment privilege, then an employable dependent shall be granted the said
privilege.

SEC. 9. Creation of Dependents Welfare Office. — There shall be a Dependents Welfare
Office created in each agency covered by this Act. To prevent redundancy and to expedite the
delivery of benefits, the establishment of such office may be done by appointing an
bureau or division to concurrently perform functions to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 10. Penalties. — The dealy, refusal, or prevention in any manner of the
implementation of the provisions of this Act, without justifiable reason, by any government
official or employee, after due process, shall be considered as tantamount to gross neglect of
duty that shall be sufficient grounds for the dismissal from civil service, in addition to any other
criminal and administrative penalties imposable under existing laws.

SEC. 11. Non-diminution of Benefits. — The Special Financial Assistance and other
benefits under this Act shall be without prejudice to other similar benefits that may be received
by uniformed personnel.

SEC. 12. Separability Clause. — In the event that any provision, clause, or part of this
Act is declared unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected by such
declaration.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - The relevant provisions of Republic Act 6963 are hereby
repealed, including all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent
with this Act are hereby repealed or modified.

SEC. 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in

the Official Gazette or two (2) national papers of general circulation in the country, whichever
comes first.

Approved,