B-171190, DEC. 10, 1970
Highlights
THE CLAIM IS BARRED BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9. CUREG: FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 19. WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO OUR OFFICE FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION. THIS MATTER WAS THE SUBJECT OF LETTERS FROM OUR CLAIMS DIVISION DATED MAY 16. IN WHICH YOU WERE ADVISED THAT CONSIDERATION OF YOUR CLAIM FOR SUCH PAY WAS BARRED BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9. SINCE IT WAS NOT RECEIVED IN OUR OFFICE WITHIN THE 10-YEAR LIMITATION PERIOD PRESCRIBED IN THAT ACT. IN SUPPORT OF YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY YOU CONTEND THAT SUCH PAY IS "AUTHORIZED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ACT. YOU HAVE IN MIND THE REGULATIONS ISSUED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MUSTERING-OUT PAYMENT ACT OF 1944.
B-171190, DEC. 10, 1970
MUSTERING-OUT PAY DENIAL OF CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY BELIEVED DUE INCIDENT TO MILITARY SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR II. THE CLAIM IS BARRED BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9, 1940, 31 U.S.C. 71A WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE CLAIM BE RECEIVED BY THE GAO WITHIN 10 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ACCRUED.
TO MR. SEGUNDO M. CUREG:
FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 19, 1969, ADDRESSED TO THE UNITED STATES ARMY FINANCE CENTER, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO OUR OFFICE FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION, CONCERNING YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,600 BELIEVED DUE INCIDENT TO YOUR MILITARY SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR II.
THIS MATTER WAS THE SUBJECT OF LETTERS FROM OUR CLAIMS DIVISION DATED MAY 16, 1968, AND OCTOBER 18, 1968, IN WHICH YOU WERE ADVISED THAT CONSIDERATION OF YOUR CLAIM FOR SUCH PAY WAS BARRED BY THE ACT OF OCTOBER 9, 1940, CH. 788, 54 STAT. 1061, 31 U.S.C. 71A, SINCE IT WAS NOT RECEIVED IN OUR OFFICE WITHIN THE 10-YEAR LIMITATION PERIOD PRESCRIBED IN THAT ACT.
IN SUPPORT OF YOUR CLAIM FOR MUSTERING-OUT PAY YOU CONTEND THAT SUCH PAY IS "AUTHORIZED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ACT. NO. 263 OF THE 88TH CONGRESS DATED JANUARY 9, 1963 AND APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1968." YOU ALSO REFER TO "THE PROVISIONS OF 311-322 OF T.M. 502, MUSTERING OUT PAY LAW." PRESUMABLY, YOU HAVE IN MIND THE REGULATIONS ISSUED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MUSTERING-OUT PAYMENT ACT OF 1944, CH. 9, 58 STAT. 8, AS AMENDED, 38 U.S.C. 691, ET SEQ. (1946 ED.), CONTAINED IN PARAGRAPHS 313-322, T.M. 14-502. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT PAYABLE UNDER THAT ACT TO OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE PERSONNEL WAS $300.
WE ARE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE LAW TO WHICH YOU REFER. NEITHER PUBLIC LAW 88-263 (WHICH WAS APPROVED JANUARY 31, 1964), NOR ANY LAW ENACTED SEPTEMBER 30, 1968, IN ANY WAY RELATES TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY. NO LAW WAS ENACTED OR APPROVED ON JANUARY 9, 1963.
THE MUSTERING-OUT PAYMENT ACT OF 1944 AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENT OF MUSTERING -OUT PAY TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO ENGAGED IN ACTIVE SERVICE FOR VARIOUS PERIODS OF TIME DURING WORLD WAR II. SECTION 6(A) OF THAT ACT DEFINED THE TERM "MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES" TO MEAN--
" *** ANY MEMBER OF THE ARMY OR NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS *** ."
WHILE YOU MENTION THE PHILIPPINE SCOUTS AND THE USAFFE, CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED FROM YOU INDICATES THAT THE SERVICE YOU PERFORMED MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, BUT RATHER AS A MEMBER OF THE PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY. SHOULD THAT BE CORRECT, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NO RIGHT TO MUSTERING-OUT PAY WOULD HAVE ACCRUED TO YOU UNDER ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF LAW RELATING THERETO. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY LAW WHICH ENTITLED MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY SERVING WITH THE USAFFE TO RECEIVE MUSTERING-OUT PAY DIRECTLY FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. IF YOU DID SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, PAYMENT OF YOUR CLAIM IS BARRED BY THE 1940 ACT, SINCE IT APPEARS THAT SUCH SERVICE WOULD HAVE TERMINATED MORE THAN 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT OF YOUR CLAIM IN OUR OFFICE ON MAY 6, 1968.
FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF ITEMS OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES AUTHORIZED FOR MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED MILITARY FORCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES SERVING IN WORLD WAR II WERE APPROPRIATED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND TRANSFERRED TO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT FOR PAYMENT. IN THIS CONNECTION AN AGREEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES AND THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ENTITLED "SETTLEMENT OF VETERANS CLAIMS" BECAME EFFECTIVE ON JUNE 29, 1967. THAT AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR THE PAYMENT OF FUNDS BY THE UNITED STATES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES IN FULL SETTLEMENT OF VARIOUS CLAIMS FOR BACK PAY AND ALLOWANCES ARISING FROM MILITARY SERVICE BY MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES AND RECOGNIZED PHILIPPINE GUERRILLAS DURING WORLD WAR II WHO HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY PAID AND WHOSE NAMES APPEARED ON THE UNITED STATES APPROVED REVISED FINAL ROSTER OF MARCH 1948.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A VALID CLAIM FOR PAYMENT OUT OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED FUNDS, SUCH CLAIM SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT. THERE IS NO ACTION WE LEGALLY MAY TAKE IN THIS MATTER.