“I would sincerely hope that Police General Benjamin Accorda, before finally fading into the sunset, reform the accounting of police retirees in a manner befitting their dignity”
This is a plea to the Chief of the PNP on behalf of tens of thousands of PNP retirees that before he finally retires from the service, he can institute a better way of accounting pensioners instead of the current quarterly ordeal that retirees have to go thru.
It is only the PNP that does this.
The AFP and other government agencies do their accounting only once a year.
Most PNP retirees who are lifers, would have served at least 30 years with many having served 35 or 36 years.
After that many years of service, these retirees could not be blamed if all they want is to enjoy what is left of the remaining years of their lives without being bothered anymore with too many PNP requirements.
But sadly, this is not the case. Every three months, all PNP retirees must prove that they are still alive by being photographed by PNP personnel from the Police Retiree Benefits Service with the current issue of any broad sheet newspaper basically like a criminal suspect and have his or her mug shot taken.
This is in spite of all retirees having been made to submit affidavits to the PNP authorizing the PNP Finance Service to withhold retirement benefits if the family of a retiree fails to notify the PNP of the death of a retiree to continue receiving pension benefits.
This requirement was apparently instituted by a Director of the PRBS several years ago to save on government funds because there were allegedly some PNP retiree families who failed to report the death of family members.
The problem was, the Director who instituted the quarterly accounting was himself reported to have gone on AWOL for 10 years and was dropped from rolls but was able to return to the PNP and got his case dismissed.
He was also reportedly able to get a 10-year back pay and did not lose any seniority, eventually retiring as a two-star General.
How is that for a guy who wants to safeguard government funds?
Now, we are all stuck with this quarterly ordeal that he instigated.
From what I was also able to find out, no mention was ever made as how many families of retired personnel failed to report the death of a PNP retired family member or how much was being lost by such practice.
Regardless, this requirement needs to change and the sooner, the better.
The PNP must realize and understand that PNP pensioners have the right to their well-earned pension benefits.
Furthermore, with the affidavit, there should be no more need for a mug shot.
This quarterly taking of mug shots is not only insulting, having to be photographed like a criminal suspect but shows no trust at all.
I would have thought the PNP should be pampering their retired comrade-in-arms who have given the best years of their lives to country instead of making it hard for them.
Personnel accounting can be done without too much inconvenience to retirees.
Many of them are still quite agile and mobile but there are those who are already in a state that taking pictures of them should simply be avoided and a written report should suffice.
If the retiree is already bedridden for instance, does the PNP really still want that photograph?
I do not think there is anyone that would willingly and fraudulently hide the death of a retiree just to continue receiving money from the government.
How much could be gained by such action considering that the pension will eventually pass on to the surviving spouse anyway?
The PRBS is a lot more efficient now than a decade or two ago but it must still try to find ways to make the life of PNP retirees easier.
After all, those in the active service will sooner or later also join those in the retired list.
I would sincerely hope that Police General Benjamin Accorda, before finally fading into the sunset, reform the accounting of police retirees in a manner befitting their dignity and mindful of the service they have rendered their country.