Hilbero said he became upset after waiting for an hour for his turn at the LTO office when a foreigner came in and was immediately attended by the staff.
He said Pangilinan tried to explain that the foreigner was already a senior citizen that is why it merited their immediate attention.
But Hilbero said he believes that foreigners are not covered by the Senior Citizens Act and should fall in line while Filipinos who patiently waited for their turn in queue should be attended to.
The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 or RA 7432 covers only all Filipinos aged 60 and above.
However, lawmakers are pushing for the approval of a bill that would allow elderly foreigners residing in the country to enjoy the same senior citizens’ perks as their Filipino counterparts.
Meanwhile, Hilbero has threatened to file a case of “discrimination” against Pangilinan before the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“We should not allow ourselves to be treated as second class citizens in our own country,” he said.
