MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has pledged to donate 75 percent of his monthly salary to “no work no pay” employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Locsin made the announcement on Monday, two days after Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said majority of the Cabinet members committed to voluntarily donate a chunk of their salaries to augment funds for the government’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1253747/nograles-cabinet-members-to-donate-75-of-monthly-salary-to-aid-covid-19-fight
“I’m raising to 75% my salary cut to go directly and only to @DFAPHL no work/no pay workers,” the foreign affairs chief said.
I'm raising to 75% my salary cut to go directly and only to @DFAPHL no work/no pay workers. I need to know it is going ONLY to the right people. I don't want to learn it's gone to idiots. That will give me a stroke from rage and I won't be able to wield a sledgehammer. @dododulay
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 6, 2020
“I need to know it is going ONLY to the right people. I don’t want to learn it’s gone to idiots. That will give me a stroke from rage and I won’t be able to wield a sledgehammer,” he added.
In an earlier tweet, Locsin described DFA’s “no work no pay” employees as the “backbone (and) flesh of our basic services.”
He initially pledged 30 percent of his salary to be given to these workers.
“Like Singapore paycut, I am raising my 30% cut in my salary. Again for DFA’s army of no work/no pay people—the backbone & flesh of our basic services,” Locsin said.
Like Singapore paycut, I am raising my 30% cut in my salary. Again for DFA's army of no work/no pay people—the backbone & flesh of our basic services. Can't regularize them; historically DBM has refused to add "plantilla items" to DFA budget. Plantilla sounds like pastillas.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 4, 2020
“Can’t regularize them; historically (Department of Budget and Management) has refused to add ‘plantilla items’ to DFA budget,” he said.
As of Sunday, the Philippines has confirmed 3,246 COVID-19 cases.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1254172/doh-reports-152-new-covid-19-cases-eight-more-deaths
Of the number, 152 have died while 64 patients have recovered from the disease.
The enhanced community quarantine imposed in the entire Luzon to contain the spread of COVID-19 enters its fourth week on Monday.