Police get increase in combat pay

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has increased the combat duty pay and combat incentive pay of police officers taking part in actual police operations.

Interior Secretary and Napolcom Chairman Ismael Sueno said Friday the increase, amounting to P2,500, is on top of the P500 in monthly combat duty pay the officers are already receiving.

The pay is given to officers in police operations, patrol duties, anti-terrorism activities, and those assigned at regional headquarters, including national support unit headquarters performing support to counter-insurgency and anti-criminality operations, and those injured in police or combat operations.

Those providing security

to the President and his family will also get the increase.

Officers in actual combat against insurgent, terrorist, and criminal groups will receive an additional 1300 per day if the operation is covered by a mission order, if they are in the published task organization of the mission order, and if their total additional combat incentive pay does not exceed 13,000 per month.

The pay incentive will be retroactive from September 1, 2016, Napolcom said.

President Duterte signed an executive order on September 26, 2016 increasing the combat duty pay and combat incentive pay of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Napolcom Vice Chairman Rogelio Casurao said the incentive will boost police morale.

The PNP has been mired in a series of controversies, the latest being the involvement of ranking police officers in the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo.

President Duterte has suspended the campaign against illegal drugs to pave the way for the cleansing of police ranks.

Recently, VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez blamed the “unlimited supply’’ of scalawag officers on the Napolcom.

Jimenez insinuated that erring officers bribe commission officials to get themselves reinstated.

Casurao called Jimenez’s claim as false and baseless, saying that from 2003 to October 31, 2013, Napolcom had decided on administrative cases filed against 143 PNP members, resulting in dismissal of 98 officers.