Expanded Definition of Veterans
- Includes all persons who served in:
- The regular air, land, or naval forces during World War II.
- Non-regularly organized military units in the Philippines recognized by either the Philippine government or the U.S. government.
- The Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea during the Korean Campaign.
- Any future armed conflict involving the Philippines.
- Also includes retirees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who served post-WWII for at least 10 years.
- Eligibility requires honorable discharge, separation, continued active service, or inactive reserve status.
Inclusion of Heirs and Beneficiaries
- Veterans include widows, orphans, and compulsory heirs in the direct ascending and descending line.
- Excludes grandchildren and great-grandchildren from inheriting veterans' stock shares.
Recognition of Veterans Organizations
- Defines "organized or acknowledged veterans organizations" as those recognized by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
- These organizations must maintain official rosters of members.
Determination of Veteran Status and Benefits
- The PVAO and AFP will determine, based on official records and admissible evidence, who qualify as veterans entitled to benefits.
- The PVAO and AFP's decision is final unless appealed within 15 days to the President or the Supreme Court.
- Appeals may be filed by interested parties or heads of acknowledged veterans organizations.
Date of Reckoning for Eligibility
- The effective date for determining veteran status and eligibility is the date of approval of this Act, December 26, 1982.
Equality in Benefit Distribution
- All beneficiaries (veterans, widows, orphans, compulsory heirs) receive equal shares regardless of rank or service.
- Orphans of a deceased veteran are collectively counted as one unit and share the same amount as a surviving veteran or widow.
Notification and Publication of Beneficiaries
- The PVAO and AFP must notify eligible parties in writing, either directly or through veterans organizations.
- They must publish notice in two newspapers of general circulation for three consecutive weeks.
- Interested parties not receiving notices may verify inclusion/exclusion from official records at the PVAO and AFP.
- Official registers and lists of eligible and excluded beneficiaries are maintained as irrevocable public records.
- Certified true copies of these records may be released for official purposes only.
Effectivity
- The decree took effect immediately upon approval on December 26, 1982.