B-167222, AUG. 4, 1969

B-167222, AUG. 4, 1969

MILITARY - MUSTERING-OUT PAY - PHILIPPINE SCOUT - BARRED CLAIM DECISION CONCERNING CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY INCIDENT TO DISCHARGE FROM UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN 1946. CLAIM BARRED UNDER 31 U.S.C. 71A.

TO MR. ISABELO V. LEONES:

FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED MARCH 27, 1969, CONCERNING YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,600 BELIEVED TO BE DUE INCIDENT TO YOUR DISCHARGE FROM SERVICE IN THE USAFFE ON JULY 15, 1946.

YOUR CLAIM DATED AUGUST 2, 1966, WAS FIRST RECEIVED IN THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1966, AND BY LETTERS DATED SEPTEMBER 30, 1966, AND SEPTEMBER 18, 1968, OUR CLAIMS DIVISION ADVISED YOU THAT WE ARE WITHOUT AUTHORITY TO CONSIDER SUCH CLAIMS SINCE THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9, 1940, CH. 788, 54 STAT. 1061, 31 U.S.C. 71A, 237, FOREVER BARS ANY CLAIM AGAINST THE UNITED STATES WHICH IS NOT RECEIVED IN THIS OFFICE WITHIN 10 FULL YEARS AFTER THE DATE SUCH CLAIM FIRST ACCRUED. YOU WERE ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FACT THAT YOU WERE NOT ACQUAINTED WITH THAT ACT CONSTITUTES NO LEGAL BASIS UPON WHICH THIS OFFICE MAY GIVE CONSIDERATION TO YOUR CLAIM SINCE THE 1940 ACT MAKES NO EXCEPTIONS WHICH WOULD PERMIT FAVORABLE ACTION ON CLAIMS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO BELATEDLY LEARN OF THEIR RIGHTS.

IT IS NOTED THAT YOU CITED SECTION 14 OF THE ARMED FORCES VOLUNTARY RECRUITMENT ACT OF 1945, APPROVED OCTOBER 6, 1945, CH. 393, 59 STAT. 543, AND CERTAIN REGULATIONS (APPARENTLY PARAGRAPHS 311-322, TM 14-502, AUGUST 1946) WHICH YOU BELIEVE ENTITLE YOU TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,600. SECTION 14 OF THE 1945 ACT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO THE PAYMENT OF MUSTERING-OUT PAY. IT RELATES ONLY TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR ENLISTMENT OF A NUMBER OF MEN IN THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS FOR DUTY IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND CERTAIN AREAS OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES ON AND AFTER OCTOBER 6, 1945. WHILE THAT SECTION WAS THE AUTHORITY FOR ENLISTMENT FOR SERVICE IN THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS IT DID NOT REFER TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE RECORDS BEFORE THIS OFFICE WHICH INDICATES THAT YOU ENLISTED IN THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS UNDER THE 1945 ACT AND IT HAD NO BEARING ON YOUR CASE.

YOU ALSO CITED "ACT NO. 263 OF THE 88TH CONGRESS DATED 9 JANUARY 1963 APPROVED SEPTEMBER 30, 1965.' WE CANNOT IDENTIFY THE LAW TO WHICH YOU REFER SINCE PUBLIC LAW 88-263 WAS APPROVED JANUARY 31, 1964, (78 STAT. 7), NO PUBLIC LAWS ENACTED DURING THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 88TH CONGRESS WERE APPROVED PRIOR TO MARCH 6, 1963, AND OF THE THREE ACTS APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1965, DURING THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 89TH CONGRESS, NONE REFERRED TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY.

ANY MUSTERING-OUT PAY TO WHICH YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ENTITLED ACCRUED TO YOU BY VIRTUE OF THE MUSTERING-OUT PAYMENT ACT OF 1944, CH. 9, 58 STAT. 8, AS AMENDED, 38 U.S.C. 691, ET SEQ. (1946 ED.), SECTION 2 (1) (A) OF WHICH PROVIDED FOR PAYMENT OF A MAXIMUM OF $300 TO PERSONS WHO SERVED 60 DAYS OR MORE OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTAL LIMITS OF THE UNITED STATES OR IN ALASKA. CONNECTION WITH THAT ACT TITLE II OF THE ACT OF MAY 27, 1946, CH. 271, 60 STAT. 223, PROVIDED THAT THE BENEFITS OF THE MUSTERING-OUT PAYMENT ACT OF 1944 SHOULD BE DEEMED APPLICABLE TO PERSONS WHO SERVED IN THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 14 OF THE ACT OF OCTOBER 6, 1945, AND THAT PAYMENTS MADE UNDER THE 1944 ACT SHOULD BE PAID AT THE RATE OF ONE PHILIPPINE PESO FOR EACH DOLLAR AUTHORIZED BY SUCH LAW. IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF LAWS CITED ABOVE, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT COULD BE PAID TO A PHILIPPINE SCOUT AS MUSTERING-OUT PAY UPON DISCHARGE WAS 300 PESOS.

CLAIMS FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY AND ANY OTHER CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL PAY INCIDENT TO YOUR MILITARY SERVICE ARE SUBJECT TO THE TIME LIMITATION IMPOSED BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9, 1940, WHICH BARS EVERY CLAIM NOT RECEIVED IN THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WITHIN 10 FULL YEARS FROM THE DATE SUCH CLAIM FIRST ACCRUED. SINCE YOU STATE YOU WERE DISCHARGED ON JULY 15, 1946, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF YOUR MILITARY SERVICE BE RECEIVED IN THIS OFFICE ON OR BEFORE JULY 15, 1956, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED BY US. YOUR CLAIM WAS NOT RECEIVED HERE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 19, 1965, MORE THAN 19 YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF YOUR DISCHARGE.

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9, 1940, IS TO RELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NECESSITY OF RETAINING AND GOING BACK OVER OLD RECORDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SETTLING STALE CLAIMS. NO MATTER HOW MERITORIOUS A CLAIM MAY BE, THIS OFFICE MAY MAKE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE STATUTE NOR MAY ANY EXTENSION OF TIME BE GRANTED WITHIN WHICH CLAIMS MAY BE FILED IN THIS OFFICE. SINCE YOUR CLAIM FOR AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR MILITARY SERVICE ACCRUED NO LATER THAN THE DATE OF YOUR DISCHARGE AND SINCE SUCH CLAIM WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL AFTER 10 YEARS FOLLOWING THAT DATE, CONSIDERATION THEREOF IS NOT AUTHORIZED.