Retired cops may call off rally

Some 35,000 retirees of the Philippine National Police promised to call off a rally set on April 27 in Plaza Miranda if the PNP leadership will address the issues concerning their pensions.

Guillermo Domondon, president of the Police Retirees Association (PRAI), said they are giving the PNP officials a week to do so.

"We are open (for dialogue) provided that the clamor of the members is satisfied," he said during a press conference at the PNP press office yesterday.

Domondon said under Republic Act 8551, an increase granted to police officers in active service will also be reflected in the pensions of retired police officers.

He noted that when policemen in active service received an increase in 2002, the government decided to give the increase in the pension in three installments.

Domondon said five years have passed and "up to now nothing has happened."

PNP comptroller Director Noe Wong said the PNP leadership "has made representations with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to fully implement the pension adjustment of the retirees."

The pension rate of police retirees has been adjusted to the fiscal year 2000 salary level of active service personnel.

"Much to our adjust the retirees’ pension rate to the 2001 salary level, we are faced with a pension adjustment deficit of (P318 million) because only (P4.5 billion) was appropriated for the pension adjustment in our budget proposal for fiscal year 2006," Wong said.

He added that the DBM assured the PNP that it will immediately act on the deficit to fully implement the pension adjustment. – Cecille Suerte Felipe with Marijoe Yu and Jan Camille Canivel