House okays pay hike for soldiers, cops
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed on second reading House Joint Resolution No. 18, which bats for the 100 percent increase in the base pay of soldiers and police officers.
According to House Appropriations Committee Chair Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, the measure will modify the existing base pay of some 381,381 military and uniformed personnel nationwide.
The resolution gained second reading approval following a three-hour debate on the plenary floor. It has a shot of being passed on third and final reading next week, or during the final three session dates of Congress for 2017. "The notable amendment we did on the floor is that the suspension of the pension indexation will now only be up to January 1, 2019 or until a new pension reform law is passed, whichever comes earlier," Nograles said.
"This temporary suspension, for a period of about one year, of the application of pension indexation of retired military and uniformed personnel is only in view of its huge financial implication," explained the three-term congressman.
Specifically, the measure raises the monthly base pay of a Police Officer (PO) 1 in the Philippine National Police (PNP) or a Private in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and equivalent ranks in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Public Safety College, Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority from R14,834 to R29,668.
This represents a 100 percent increase in the base pay effective January 1, 2018. For the other ranks, the increase in base pay will be calibrated resulting in an average increase of 58.70 percent for all ranks.
"This is in recognition of the critical role of the military and police in maintaining national security and peace and order, as they exercise their duty to ensure the safety of our citizens being exposed to various high peril environment and life-threatening risks, in the discharge of their functions," Nograles explained.
The national government will tap R64.24 billion from its coffers to fund the salary hike, which President Duterte first promised in August 2018.
Body cams At the same time, Nograles bared that Congress is setting aside additional funds from the proposed P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2018 for the purchase of body-worn cameras for police officers in conducting anti-crime operations including antidrug raids and sting operations.
In an interview over ANC's Headstart Wednesday, Nograles said that President Duterte, through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has requested additional funding for the "body cams" in its effort to ensure that standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement are observed at all times during anti-crime operations.