Capitol officials agreed that there is a reason behind President Benigno Aquino III’s move to veto the bill increasing the pension of Social Security System (SSS) members.
Gov. Hilario Davide III said he was pleased to hear that pensioners were set to receive an additional P2,000 in their pension once the bill becomes a law.
“But I have yet to take a look at the bill itself,” he said in press conference yesterday.
Davide said he is still hoping the bill can be reviewed by Congress to rectify provisions President Aquino cited as some of his reasons for rejecting the proposed law.
“I understand, based on the feedback I received, that there are provisions in the law which would have made it hard for SSS to implement,” said Davide.
At present, he believes the President had a “good reason” for his actions.
Provincial Board Member Raul Alcoseba, chairman of the PB committee on senior citizens, said he does not understand why the President vetoed the proposed measure.
“It passed through Congress and the Senate. There were probably feasibility studies. I don’t understand why it was passed on the two levels yet was still vetoed,” he said in a separate interview.
Among the reasons President Aquino cited was that the pension increase for two million pensioners will compromise SSS funds in the future.
What Alcoseba understands, he said, is that the President was only making sure SSS funds don’t run out.