Dili, 13 February 2026 (Média Democracia) – The Student Academic Association of the Faculty of Law UNTL, held a press conference to continue ask to the Court of Appeal to declare Constitutionality the Revocation of the Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law, which is currently pending. The conference was held at the UNTL Central Campus, Wednesday this week.
Spokeperson Benjamin Matos said, in the statement as everyone knows, the fight to revoke the Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law, isn’t the will of politicians from party A or B who have been alternating power. But it’s because of the real conditions of the people facing difficulties that pushed and stood up through EUTL, to fight and even sacrifice themselve to revoke it, through an agreement between EUTL and the National Parliament.
“The agreement obliges the parliamentary groups to create Bill No. 11/25, and finally, the deputies approved it unanimously in the National Parlament. The Bill was sent to the President of the Republic for promulgation, becoming Law No. 7/2025 on September 29, revoking Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law entirely. The revocation law has a rectorative effect, meaning it applies from 2002 onwards. When the President promulgated the law, the people were very happy because the Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law was finally abolished in the RDTL State.” Said Spokeperson Benjamin Matos
The spokeperson continue, after the law come into effect, 30 beneficiaries filed a complaint through the PDHJ requesting Court of Appeal to conduct a successive abstract fiscalization and declare to revocation of the LPMV unconstitutional. The beneficiaries filed the complaint because they consider the law to be in violation of contitutional principles and to revoke their rights.
“Based on the beneficiaries’ complaint, PDHJ submitted a request for successive abstract fiscalization to the Court of Appeal, considerig that Law No. 7/2025 of September 29, promulgated by the President of the Republic, violates the rights of beneficiaries established by the previous Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law.” Continued the spokeperson.
The spokeperson added that, according to PDHJ’s analysis, the law violates constitutional principles such as the general priciples of non-retroactivity of the law, the principle of legal security, the principle of protection of citizens’ trust, and the principle of opportunity in legislative acts. Therefore, the academic community and the public need to understand that the vitalisia pension, which the benefisiaries receive, isn’t a fundamental right recognized or established in the RDTL Constitution. However, the vitalisia pension or acquired right is attributed or given by a law produced in the National Parliament.
“We consider that Law No. 7/2025 of September 29, which is now part of Timor-Leste’s legal order, doesn’t undermine social trust nor violate the constitutional principles mentioned in PDHJ’s request for succesive absract fiscalization.” Stated spokeperson Benjamin Matos
The spokeperson explained, the analysis on revocation of LPMV doesn’t violate general and constitutional principles such as the prinnciple of non-retroactivity enshrined in article 24 No.2 of the RDTL Costitutional, because this article prohibits reatroactive application of laws that affect fundamental rigths recognized in the Constitution. Since the right to vitalisia pension isn’t a fundamental right, there is no infringement or violation of any article, and therefore, the revocation of the Vitalisia Monthly Pension Law cannot be applied retroactively.
He added, as law students, their analysis of the LPMV revocation is based on constitutional principles such as the principle of equality and the principle of justice enshrined in the RDTL Constitution, making this case a conflict between principles. For these reasons, they request the Court of Appeal to assess and declare the law contitutional, ending the pending status and doubts for the public.
Through this conference, he further urged the people of maubere, student, soocial groups, youth, resistance fighters, and veterans to remain vigilant and closely monitor the court’s decision on the revocation law of the vitalisia monthly pension, which hasn’t been published yet.
Reporting : Nelfiano
Photo : Nelfiano