Govt releases P7.5M to kin of deceased village execs

Over P7.5 million in death benefits had been given from November 2010 to February this year to families of barangay (village) officials who died during their incumbency, the government said Tuesday. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said families of 542 deceased barangay officials benefited from the money that was released by the Department of Budget and Management from the Barangay Officials Death Benefits Fund in the three-month period. “Of the P7.574-million total death benefit claims, P2.354-million were released to the families of barangay chairs, while P5.22-million were granted to the relatives of other barangay officials," said Robredo in a statement. Of the 542 deceased barangay officials who died while in office, 107 were barangay chairpersons, 360 were barangay council members, 40 were barangay secretaries, 30 were barangay treasurers, and five were Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons. The release of the death benefits was in accordance to the provisions under Section 393 of the Local Government Code and Executive Order No. 115 issued in 2002. Under EO 115, beneficiaries of deceased barangay chairpersons will get P22,000 each, while kin of other barangay officials will receive P12,000 each, Robredo said. No benefits shall be granted to a deceased barangay official if the cause of death is either suicide or unlawful acts resulting in death, Robredo stressed. Western Visayas region received the highest death benefit claims followed by Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas, based on data from the National Barangay Operations Office. — Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMA News