REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _ 1216

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN II

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 Paraa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BillNo, 1216

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN II

AN ACT

PROVIDING FORSPECIAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND . BENEFITS
GRANTED TO _ BENEFICIARIES OF UNIFORMED AND LAW
ENFORCEMENTPERSONNEL OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP),
ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES (AFP), BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION
(BFP), BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGGY (BJMP),
PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD (PCG), NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
(NBD, BUREAU OFCORRECTIONS (BUCOR), AND PHILIPPINE DRUG
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (PDEA) KILLED OR PERMANENTLY
INCAPACITATED WHILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTY OR BY
REASON OF THEIR OFFICE OR POSITION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE PERTINENT PROVISIONS
OFREPUBLIC 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. 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 duty or by reason of his 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, BIMP, 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
Sectionl 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, or 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 Chief BEP, or the Director General of BuCor as the
case may be, is necessary for the payment of the aforesaid financial assistance. After 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/herdeath 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 that 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 BEP 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 BIMP 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

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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. 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 existing bureau or division to concurrently perform functions to implement the provisions
of this Act.

SEC. 10. Penalties. The delay, 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 provided 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,