Benefits of a retired public official

Mary Anne F. Quinto

THE Civil Service Commission, in 2013, has come up with the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10154 which requires the early release of the retirement benefits of public officials and employees: retirement pay, pensions, gratuities and other benefits of retiring employees in all government offices, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, except personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The implementing rules state that these benefits should be paid by the government offices concerned within 30 days from the actual retirement date of the employee.

The employee should have filed his intention to retire from the service (compulsory or optional) not later than 120 days prior to the retirement date. The employee should then submit documents at least 100 days before quitting the service.

Upon receipt of these documents, the office should take proper steps to process the application, compute the retirement benefits due and verify the authenticity and accuracy of those papers.

Come retirement date, the employee can look forward to receiving his money within a month’s time.

There are however rules that payment of the retirement benefits may be withheld if the employee has a pending administrative case whose outcome may give rise to his obligation to pay a certain sum of money to the government; a law applicable to the employee specifically authorizes the withholding of the retirement benefits.

According to the rules, an administrative case shall be construed as such only “when the disciplining authority has issued a formal charge or a notice of charges” to the employee concerned.

It is incumbent on government offices to see to it that, way ahead of the retirement of their employees, sufficient provisions are made in their budget.

--oOo-

The author is Administrative Assistant III at Angeles Elementary School, Jesus

St., Pulungbulu Angeles City