Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) — Sen. Robin Padilla has proposed that the country’s former chief executives must automatically become presidential advisers.
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“I propose that former presidents be automatically made presidential advisers, and it will be up to the sitting president to decide which area they can contribute,” he said in a statement Monday.
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Citing a possible scenario, the lawmaker said former President Rodrigo Duterte “can be made an adviser on law enforcement or on foreign relations.”
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Padilla’s suggestion is on top of the proposed measures seeking to provide additional benefits to former presidents, which he “fully support[s].”
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Late in January, Senators Bong Go, Mark Villar, Bato dela Rosa, and Francis Tolentino filed Senate Bill 1784, or the proposed Former Presidents Benefits Act of 2023.
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READ: Senators file bill seeking more benefits for ex-presidents
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/2/5/senate-bill-ex-presidents-benefits.html
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If the bill is passed into law, former chief executives will be entitled to choose the head of their own security detail. The immediate family will also be provided with security protection as long as the ex-leader is living. Currently, the incumbent president assigns Presidential Security Group members to guard past presidents.
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The government is also required to provide a tax-free life pension of ₱40,000 annually to former chief executives following the date they ceased to be president.
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At present, surviving ex-presidents are entitled to security staff, but not their families. The former chief executives are also automatically members of the National Security Council which also includes the incumbent Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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Ex-presidents can also select “adequate staff” provided by the Office of the President, as well as a “suitable office space appropriately furnished and equipped” anywhere within the country.
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“Despite the end of their term, they are also expected to perform post-presidential duties such as meeting with foreign and local dignitaries, and attending public events and other social engagements,” the proposed bill’s explanatory note read.
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“These duties often require them to employ the services of personal staff and maintain private offices,” it added.
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