More perks for Caloocan cops

Bidding to further boost the flagging morale of local policemen in the face of harder times, Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri yesterday ordered the restoration of the monthly allowance for the men in uniform which was taken away from them last year for unspecified reasons. The allowances then reportedly came from the Office of the Mayor.

As an added statement, Echiverri also promised to provide gym equipment and improve facilities at the local police gym at the Caloocan City Police Station Firing Range after it was emptied by former Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo shortly before his last term as mayor expired at noon of June 30, 23004. Malonzo said they were his and were just lent to the local police force.

"I have ordered our budget officer to find a way to restore the monthly allowance of our policemen used to get," Echiverri announced in a statement yesterday. The mayor said that his administration will do its best to make sure that the police’s service would neither be sacrificed nor hampered. These recent measures are expected to result in better performance, he said.

"Since the benefits will be coming from the taxpayers’ hard-earned money, we expect that our policemen will do their duty with more dedication and intensity," Echiverri said.

It was gathered that the local police force used to receive a monthly allowance of P1,000 each initially but gradually dwindled to P500 when times got harder until, for some unknown reasons, the allowance was altogether cut last year. Echiverri is now looking at P800 as ideal for the present needs of the local police. — Jerry Botial