Aquino signs Centenarians law, NBI reorganization act

AQUINO

President Benigno Aquino III has signed into law a measure granting additional benefits for centenarians, more than three years after he vetoed an earlier version of the bill, Malacañang said Monday.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., citing the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, said the President signed Republic Act no. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016 last June 23, along with the following measures:

R.A. 10865 — Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro, Sr. Medical Center Act;
R.A. 10866 — Batanes Responsible Tourism Act;
R.A. 10867 — National Bureau of Investigation Reorganization and Modernization Act.

“(The) Centenarians Act as enacted does not carry the provision about 75 percent VAT (value-added tax) exemption which was the objectionable feature of the enrolled bill when it was first submitted to the President and vetoed in the 15th Congress,” Coloma said.

Aquino in 2013 vetoed the said measure for being “excessive and unreasonable” because of the 75-percent discount on goods and services for Filipinos aged 100 years old and up.

Malacañang has yet to release a copy of the new law but the version approved by Senate included the following benefits: P100,000 in cash and a letter of felicitation from the President.

Coloma said the NBI Reorganization Act “is (a) product of inter-agency consensus building; it was in fact a SONA-enunciated initiative.”

The measure is supposed to help the NBI modernize through the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories, as well as training of its personnel.

Meanwhile, Aquino recognized the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at his last military event as commander in chief of the 125,000-strong force.

The AFP held a testimonial parade and review for Aquino on Monday at Camp Aguinaldo, to express their gratitude for his efforts to modernize the military.