Cayetano wants pay hike for policemen

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has called for an increase in the salaries of policemen in light of revelations on the involvement of several police officials in the illegal drug trade.

By raising the pay of the police, Cayetano said this would hopefully help rid the Philippine National Police (PNP) of scalawags and crooks within its ranks.

“While the PNP is purging its internal organization of scalawags and crooks, we need to recruit and train more men and women with better pay to combat crime since they face risks and dangers everyday,” he said.

In last Wednesday’s hearing at the Senate, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa revealed he was paying off several police officers in exchange for protection for his illegal drug operations in Eastern Visayas.

The revelation drove PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to tears, who said he no longer knows who to trust.

Cayetano filed Senate Bill No. 71 or the Philippine National Police Compensation Act of 2016, where the lowest ranking police officer or Police Officer 1 (PO1) would receive a gross minimum pay of P50,530 per month, inclusive of benefits and allowances.

At present, a PO1 makes a little under P15,000 a month.

Cayetano argued that unless Congress acts on the pending bills to increase the compensation and incentives for police officers and soldiers, they remain vulnerable to crime syndicates.

He also lamented that while crime syndicates continue to be innovative in promoting their illegal activities, the police are left with piecemeal budgets to improve their capacity to maintain peace and order.

Apart from the initiatives from Congress, Cayetano said any help in the form of foreign-assisted projects or private-public sector partnership would also be appreciated.

Cayetano said the modernization of the PNP should also be supported in the 2017 national budget.

“The budget for the PNP should be in line with the Capability Enhancement Program of the President,” he said.

Under the 2017 proposed national budget, the PNP would get P136.3 billion or 20 percent higher than the current year’s budget.

Cayetano lamented the proposed funding could barely meet the minimum standard to cope with the state’s enemies that use more modern communications equipment and high-powered firearms.