(Eagle News)–The Philippine National Police has filed charges against the wife of a deceased policeman after she supposedly continued to collect his monthly pension even after his death.
In a statement, the PNP said the charges against Lucila de Mesa, wife of PSgt Fortunato Gomez De Mesa who died on February 18, 2019, were filed before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office.
De Mesa, who is at large, had managed to collect over P500,000 even after his death, the PNP said.
“From the time the pension should have stopped until May 2020, the suspect had withdrawn a total amount of Five Hundred Thirty Five Thousand Three Hundred Fifty-Five Pesos and Ninety-Three Centavos (PhP 535,355.93) conferring to the certificate issued by the PNP Finance Service,” PNP Retirement Benefits and Administration Service Director, Police Colonel Arthur Bisnar said.
PNP Chief Achie Gamboa instructed the PRBS and Finance Service to recover the overpayments claimed by De Mesa and to monitor the case.
“(PNP Chief Gamboa) wants stiffer penalties imposed on fake pensioners and claimants for overpayment as part of the national monitoring and accounting of pensioners program of the PNP leadership,” the PNP said.
