MANILA, Philippines — Is P100,000 an insignificant gift for public servants? Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said it depends on the person who will receive the money.
Albayalde explained that the value of P100,000 will differ from the monthly salary and integrity of a government worker. For instance, he said, such an amount may appear small for millionaires, but may look like a bag of gold for those with lower salaries.
“It depends on the person, on the integrity of the person. It depends on who is saying this and that,” he said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The PNP chief was commenting on the remark of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica, who said in a television interview that an insignificant gift or token that a government worker can accept could be as much as P100,000.
Like Albayalde, Belgica noted a specific gift given out of gratitude could either be minor to someone or expensive to others at the same time.
To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he sees nothing wrong with police officers accepting gifts from persons who are grateful for their work as law enforcers.
READ: Duterte OK with cops accepting ‘gifts’ out of gratitude, earning extra cash from video-karera
Albayalde likewise echoed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s suggestion that the Civil Service Commission should set guidelines on gifts that government workers may accept from private individuals.
READ: DOJ chief asks CSC for guidelines on gifts for gov’t workers
“Para maging definite na tayo (So we can be definite). Let’s put value on this already, kung ano ‘yung gift, kung ano ‘yung token, kung ano ang pwedeng tanggapin (on which is considered a gift or a token, on which can be accepted),” he said.
He added that discretion of a person would also play a key role on whether to accept the gift or not.
For Albayalde, however, P100,000 would be a big amount as it is already over half of his monthly income. Based on the latest salary hike for PNP members, a Police General – a rank given only to a PNP chief – has started receiving this year P149,785 monthly pay.
He then joked he would be able to buy several items from a famed clothing brand with P100,000. /kga