P3k/month combat pay for army, cops approved

MANILA - The Duterte administration has increased to P3,000 per month the combat duty pay of the qualified members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Thursday.

The increase will be received starting this month, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said, citing that this was in pursuant to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 3 dated September 26, 2016.

He said the increase in allowance is separate from the salary increase as provided by Executive Order 201, s. 2016.

From P500 per month, the Combat Duty Pay of the officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP and uniformed personnel of the PNP is increased to P3,000 per month, he said.

“Officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP performing combat duties/ activities and uniformed personnel of the PNP engaged in actual police operations as defined in regulations to be issued by the Secretary of National Defense and the National Police Commission, respectively, are entitled to receive Combat Duty Pay,” the Executive Order said.

Meanwhile, members of the AFP and the uniformed personnel of the PNP who participate in actual combat against members of various insurgent, terrorist and lawless elements, shall be entitled to an additional combat incentive pay of P300 per day, subject to the following conditions:

The operation must be for a specific combat mission that is duly covered by an OPORD or FRAG-0 for the AFP or a Mission Order for the PNP; the personnel involved in combat must be in the published task organization of the AFP OPORD/FRAG-0 or the PNP Mission Order; and the total additional combat incentive pay for each individual shall not exceed P3,000 per month.

Diokno said the combat incentive pay shall be over and above the combat duty pay of P3,000 for qualified officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP and qualified uniformed personnel of the PNP.