B-167979, OCT. 30, 1969

B-167979, OCT. 30, 1969

TO MR. RUSTICO DACUDAG:

FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 7, 1969, RECEIVED HERE SEPTEMBER 3, 1969, BY REFERENCE FROM THE FINANCE CENTER, U.S. ARMY, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, CONCERNING YOUR CLAIM FOR THE "BENEFITS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE PROVISION OF ACT NO. 263, OF THE 88TH. CONGRESS DATED JANUARY 9, 1963, AND WAS APPROVED SEPTEMBER 30, 1968.' IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY BELIEVED TO BE DUE INCIDENT TO YOUR DISCHARGE FROM THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS ON APRIL 1, 1949.

YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY WAS FIRST RECEIVED IN THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE ON APRIL 18, 1966, AND BY LETTERS DATED APRIL 28, 1966, MAY 11, 1967, AND APRIL 11, 1968, OUR CLAIMS DIVISION ADVISED YOU THAT WE ARE WITHOUT AUTHORITY TO CONSIDER SUCH CLAIM 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 WE KNOW OF NO LAW REMOVING THE TIME LIMITATION FOR THE FILING OF CLAIMS COGNIZABLE BY THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE IN CASES SUCH AS YOURS.

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 313-322, 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 THE 1945 ACT CONTAINED AUTHORITY FOR ENLISTMENT FOR SERVICE IN THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS, IT DID NOT REFER TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY.

CONCERNING THE "ACT NO. 263, OF THE 88TH. CONGRESS DATED JANUARY 9, 1963, * * * APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1968," YOU ARE ADVISED THAT WE CANNOT IDENTIFY THE LAW TO WHICH YOU REFER. 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 NEITHER OF THE THREE ACTS APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1968, DURING THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 90TH CONGRESS NOR PUBLIC LAW 88-263 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, CHAPTER 9, 58 STAT. 8, AS AMENDED, 38 U.S.C. 691, ET SEQ. (1946 ED.), SECTION 2 (A) (1) 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 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 LAW. IN OTHER WORDS, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF LAW 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 APRIL 1, 1949, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF YOUR MILITARY SERVICE BE RECEIVED IN THIS OFFICE ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 1959, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED BY US. YOUR CLAIM WAS NOT RECEIVED HERE UNTIL APRIL 18, 1966, MORE THAN 17 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 EXCEPTION 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.