ACTING on instructions of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership headed by General Debold M. Sinas has stopped requiring surviving spouses or other beneficiaries of deceased police personnel to physically process their claims and benefits at Camp Crame.
According to PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, Lieutenant Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, the PNP already observes the provisions of PNP Memorandum Circular 2017-075 published on Dec 26, 2017 which lessened the burden of the beneficiaries of posthumously retired/separated PNP personnel in the processing of claims and to ensure the expeditious release of all benefits due them.
The program is being undertaken by the PNP Retirement and Benefits Administration Service (PRBS).
As such, the Chief of Office and Unit Commander of a deceased PNP member is mandated to designate a “Survivor Officer”, tasked to assist the bereaved family or beneficiary in securing the documents required in the processing and timely release of death benefit claims, the PNP-OIC said.
The Survivor Officers are also tasked to regularly liaise with the bereaved family and update them on the status of the processing of the benefits due to them.
“With this development there is no need for the surviving spouse or any of the beneficiary to personally appear and process their claims at the NHQ as the concerned Units, thru the Survivor Officers, are primarily responsible in the collection and submission of all pertinent requirements for the filing, processing and subsequent crediting of their death benefit claims directly to the ATM of the Surviving Spouse and/or their beneficiary,” Lt. Gen. Eleazar said.
When he was still the PNP chief, now retired Gen. Archie Francisco F. Gamboa launched the well-recognized PNP ‘Pensioner Ko, Sagot Ko’ or PKSK program which has earned countless positive feedbacks from retired and active policemen.
The PKSK program has become a major hit after it was given an imprimatur by the PNP leadership who ordered all 17 Police Regional Offices to ensure its full implementation in their areas.
The PKSK program of the PRBS was started by Brig. Gen. Arthur V. Bisnar, now the PNP Headquarters Support Service director and is being continued by his successor, Brig. Gen. Sydney S. Hernia.
The PNP is using modern technology to digitize its pensioners’ files and ensure there won’t be any ‘ghost retirees and ghost pensioners’ in the force.
The PNP also launched last year its Oplan Bilang to account for all pensioners nationwide and created PNP ‘track-care teams’ who were able to reach out to tens of thousands of pensioners to update and collect their records despite the pandemic.
The PNP-PRBS on February 26 last year launched its ‘Oplan Bilang’ with the support of all 17 PNP regional directors in the country. The program aimed to account, update and collect the biometrics of police pensioners nationwide earning it kudos from police retirees nationwide.
The PNP leadership also wanted to protect the pensioners who belong to the most ‘at-risk and vulnerable’ age groups by seeing to it that men in uniform will be visiting them in their houses.
The PKSK program also promotes real camaraderie between active and retired police officers and men. The program sees to it that there will be a ‘buddy system’ which includes the matching and pairing of an Active Personnel Buddy to a Pensioner-Buddy; the Initial Wellness Check and Visitation of the Pensioner; and Quarterly Wellness Check and Visitation.
Policemen with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel down to Patrolman/Patrolwoman are involved in the program to ensure that over 92,000 PNP pensioners will be fully accounted for and their biometrics and pictures taken, whether they are here or abroad.
