Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP chief. Screengrab from RTVM video
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed under its care 96,459 indigent families to help them survive through the entire duration of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said in a statement on Monday that police personnel nationwide have already shelled out cash and gave in-kind donations worth P47 million — or over P450 per family.
Gamboa said this is part of their “Kapwa Ko, Sagot Ko” Adopt a Family program, which encourages PNP officers to help other people and help the government by sharing in the load of the social amelioration program (SAP).
“To all our PNP personnel, let us share whatever we can to sustain indigent families in our communities as we strictly enforce law and order during this lockdown [period],” he said.
“Let us also encourage other families who are capable to help the ‘poorest of the poor’ for us to finally halt the spread of our common enemy – COVID-19. Our law enforcers will assist in the distribution of donations from good Samaritan Filipinos,” he added.
According to Gamboa, interested parties who are not part of PNP can ask for assistance in sending aid, as staying at home while the ECQ is in place is still the best weapon to combatting COVID-19.
“We all recognize that the best way to beat our invisible enemy is by strictly staying at home to prevent the transfer of the contagion and to save our health care system from being overwhelmed by victims of this Pandemic,” the PNP head noted.
“Thus, on behalf of all our PNP personnel, we enjoin all Filipinos to express our patriotism and put into action our Bayanihan by helping poor families in your communities as we brace for a stricter lockdown for our country to finally win this War vs COVID-19,” he added.
Under President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, police officers received significant pay — which was part of the Chief Executive’s campaign promise in 2016. This took effect in 2018, where the policemen’s wages reflected a 100 percent increase.
This means that a Police Officer 1 — or a Patrolman/ Patrolwoman according to the new classification ranks — now receives a salary of P29,668 from the previous P14,934.
A lot of Filipinos have complained of lack of funds through the lockdown period, after the ECQ over Luzon and other areas suspended work except for essential frontline services.
The government has implemented a social amelioration program which would benefit at least 18 million Filipinos, but other people, including those from the middle classes, have also sought for assistance.
As of now, the national government has yet to decide if the ECQ would be lifted or extended amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country. The Philippines currently has one of the highest coronavirus infection and mortality rates in the Southeast Asian region.
DOH said that there are now 6,459 COVID-19 cases all over the country, with 429 casualties and 613 recoveries. Worldwide, over 2.40 million individuals have been infected, while 165,788 have died from the disease and 620,696 have recovered from it.