Duterte grants monthly aid to CAFGU personnel

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the provision of monthly monetary assistance amounting to PHP2,000 to Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) personnel.

Executive Order (EO) 94, signed on November 8, states that the grant of PHP2,000 financial assistance for each member of CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) unit is effective since July 1 this year.

“Financial support in the amount of [PHP2,000] per month beginning 01 July 2019 is hereby granted to each member of the CAA units who meets the conditions prescribed,” it said.

The order, which takes effect immediately, covers

only duly-appointed members of the CAA units “appearing in the roster maintained by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and actually rendering services.”

“Provided, that those who are in the roster and have been appointed but are still undergoing training as of the aforementioned date, shall be entitled to a prorated portion of said financial support upon the satisfactory completion of the prescribed training,” the EO stated.

The CAFGU, created through EO 264 in 1987, is mandated to complement and support the regular forces of the AFP in dealing with internal and external security threats through the mobilization of CAA) units.

Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution states that, “The government may call upon the people to defend the State and require citizens to render personal military service, under conditions provided by law.”

In 2018, Duterte signed EO 69, granting financial support in the amount of PHP7,000 to members of CAA units covering the months of November and December 2018, in recognition of their invaluable service.

Under EO 69, the Department of Bureau and Management (DBM) is directed to study and propose measures for the continuous grant of financial support on a monthly basis.

The President’s new EO notes that the funding requirements for the grant of financial support to qualified members of the CAA units will be sourced from the current year’s available appropriations.

“The funding requirements for the succeeding years shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, subject to the submission of the actual number of qualified CAA members to the DBM,” EO 94 added.

EO 94 orders the DBM and the Department of National Defense to jointly issue appropriate guidelines for the effective implementation of the Chief Executive’s latest directive.

“If any provision of this Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect,” it said.

“All orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly,” it added. (PNA)