Press Release
February 17, 2009

PRE-NEED PLAN HOLDERS' EXEMPTION FROM PAYMENT
OF FEES SOUGHT

ROXAS WRITES CJ PUNO ON BEHALF OF VICTIMS OF PRE-NEED FIRMS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas has asked Chief Justice Reynato Puno of the Supreme Court (SC) to exempt victims of pre-need companies that have closed shop from paying the regular court fees when they file civil or criminal cases against pre-need companies.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee looking into the financial status of the pre-need industry, is giving free legal assistance to plan holders who are financially-incapable of recovering their investments with pre-need firms which failed to return their premiums after declaring bankruptcy.

"Niloko na ang mga kawawang plan holders na ito. Ang mga perang inipon nila para sana sa edukasyon ng kanilang mga anak ay napunta na sa mga pre-need companies. Malaking bagay kung mabibigyan sila ng exemption sa pagbabayad ng mga filing fees na ito nang sa gayon ay hindi na ito makadagdag pa kanilang mga gastusin (These plan holders are victims. The monies they saved for the education of their children have been stolen by these pre-need firms. It would be a relief for them if they are exempted from payment of the court fees, this way this will no longer add to their daily expenses)," he said.

The Ilonggo senator has written Chief Justice Puno on behalf of the victimized plan holders who have sought legal assistance from his office and requested that they be exempted from paying the court/filing fees, such as Docket fees, Special Allowance for the Judiciary, Legal Research Fund fee, Deposit for Sheriff's fee, the Philippine Mediation Fund and the Victim's Compensation Fund.

He said the court/filing fees could be considered as a lien on whatever monetary award the victims would receive in the event of a favorable decision on their cases against the pre-need companies.

"The aborted operations of College Assurance Plan (CAP), together with the recent unilateral closure of Legacy Consolidated Plans, Scholarship Plan Philippines, All Asia Plans Corporation and some other pre-need companies have caused serious financial distress to a number of Filipinos whose only desire has been to provide their children with a better future," Roxas said in his letter.

Roxas reiterated plan holders who need legal assistance could call or text 0919-MAROXAS (6276927). He has set-up a pool of lawyers who would see to the legal needs of the hundreds of plan holders who have been victimized by pre-need firms.

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