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Members and officers of the Association of the Court of Appeals
Retired Justices (ACARD) asked House Speaker Prospero Nograles to
assure the immediate passage of House Bill 882.
Nograles himself filed H.B. 882 granting
additional retirement benefits to members of the judiciary by
amending pertinent provisions of Republic Act 910.
The retired justices who sought an audience with
Nograles were ACARD President Teodoro Regino, Bennie Adefuin-de la
Cruz, Danilo Pine, Santiago Ranada, Eloy Bello and Wenceslao Agnir
Jr.
Regino said that in the proposed amendments,
justices who retire at 70 years old and passes away shall have his
or her retirement benefits transferred to his or her spouse or
children. Likewise, 15 years of service instead of 20 years is
necessary to get a monthly pension.
The House Speaker assured the immediate passage
of the bill.
“We must provide the much needed financial
assistance to the retired judges to support them in their twilight
years. They had been dedicated most of their lives in the service of
the people and country,” Nograles said.
On July 13, 2004, Nograles recalled that the
Supreme Court, in an en banc resolution, directed and authorized the
Court Administrator to assist the Retired Judges Association in
seeking the passage of an amendatory law to R.A. 910 so retired
judges, both in the first and second level courts, may enjoy an
automatic increase in pensions whenever there is an increase in
salary or compensation of active or incumbent judges.
The Speaker pointed out that the Supreme Court
committed to fund the difference of the prevailing monthly pension
of retired judges from the Judiciary Development Fund.
-- Jomar Canlas
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