Higher subsistence allowance for cops, soldiers sought

MANILA, Philippines - Two lawmakers have proposed to raise the daily subsistence allowance of the personnel, officers and cadets of the military and police forces to P150 from the present P90 to provide them with decent living and adequate compensation.

Magdalo Party-list Reps. Ashley Acedillo and Gary Alejano raised the proposal through House Joint Resolution 11 which seeks to hike the daily subsistence allowance of all officers, enlisted personnel, candidate soldiers, probationary second lieutenants, Cadets and Civilian Active Auxiliaries (CAA) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and of all commissioned and non-commissioned personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) cadets.

According to Acedillo and Alejano, the present P90 subsistence allowance per day can hardly support the subsistence of the family of soldiers and police personnel as the National Statistics Office (NSO) stated officially that monthly cost of living for a family of five should be at least P13,200 per month in order to recoup a decent living.

Acedillo said despite lofty constitutional precepts providing for adequate remuneration and benefits of members of the AFP and PNP as the prime State concern, military and uniformed personnel of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PCG receive measly salaries, inadequate allowances and insufficient benefits, and are among the lowest paid in the government.

Acedillo cited a case in point is the P90 daily subsistence allowance of the officers, enlisted personnel, candidate soldiers, Probationary Second Lieutenants, CAA of the AFP and the commissioned and non-commissioned personnel of the PCG, PNP, BFP and BJMP, and PNPA cadets is a very small amount by any standard.

“It is high time that we recognize and honor the very vital role played by our soldiers and policemen by looking after their welfare and providing them with decent and adequate compensation as well as reasonable and standard benefits,” said Acedillo, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Globalization and WTO.

Alejano, a vice chairman of the Committee on National Defense and Security, said the joint resolution is a step in the direction of the State policy to promote professionalism in the AFP, the PCG, PNP, BFP, BJMP and PNPA, and to provide adequate remuneration and benefits of their members as a prime concern.

Alejano said the amount to implement the higher subsistence allowance shall be charged against the savings of the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the DILG for the current year or the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, or both. Thereafter, the national government shall appropriate annually and include it in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

House Joint Resolution 11 is now pending at the House committee on appropriations chaired by Rep. Isidro Ungab (3rd District, Davao City).

Higher subsistence allowance for cops, soldiers sought