TOUGH TRAINING Police officers aspiring to become members of the Special Action Force (SAF), an elite unit of the Philippine National Police, go through rigorous exercises at the SAF Training School at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna province. RAFFY LERMA
ONE of the widows was given P300,000 to bankroll her Internet cafe business. Another asked for P100,000 to start a sari-sari (variety) store.
A father’s request for educational assistance for 17 of his nephews and nieces had been approved.
A mother, on the other hand, sought the concreting of a feeder road in their far-flung village, which cost P20 million to complete.
Most of them received new houses or financial aid for the repair of their houses.
These were among the benefits given to the grief-stricken families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who perished in a botched antiterrorism operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, exactly a year ago today (Monday).
The assistance was on top of more than P92 million in cash, that was released to them by various government agencies over the past 12 months, according to records from the Philippine National Police, copies of which were obtained by the Inquirer.
The documents, which were prepared by the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership, seemed to contradict the claims of many of the families that they had yet to receive what was promised to them by President Aquino during the state funeral for the brave SAF personnel.
P188-M aid
In all, Malacañang said the families of the SAF 44 had received more than P188.33 million in government aid and other benefits due the commandos and supplementary assistance from other agencies.
The carnage in Mamasapano, which also left 17 Moro rebels and three civilians dead, triggered the worst political crisis of the Aquino administration, and which also virtually killed the government’s efforts to seal a peace agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
A senior police officer agreed to give copies of the summary of benefits to the Inquirer provided that the names of the registered beneficiaries would be withheld in deference to the heroism of the slain SAF commandos.
“These documents would set the record straight regarding the accusations that the PNP and the national government had failed to make good on their promises to the SAF 44 families,” said the PNP official, who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak to the media.
“The records would also show how some relatives of the SAF 44 abused the kindness of the government and the concern of the public regarding their plight,” he added.
According to the PNP records, each family of the slain police commandos, now collectively known as SAF 44, received P250,000 from the Presidential Social Fund of Mr. Aquino.
Additional aid
The legal beneficiaries of the slain PNP personnel were entitled to burial and gratuity pay from the National Police Commission ranging from P222,500 to P530,000 depending on their length of service.
Each of the family also received special financial assistance from the PNP, cash equivalent of their late kin’s accumulated leaves and “back-earned pension.”
Since March last year, the families had started getting monthly pension of as much as P50,000 depending on the rank of their slain relatives.
The families also got additional financial aid from the Senate (P100,000), the House of Representatives (P100,000), the Dasmariñas City government (P50,000) and PNP Special Assistance Fund (P300,000).
According to PNP documents, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided food supplies, psychosocial services and cash assistance of as much as P75,000 to the SAF 44 families.
The Employees’ Compensation Commission also released P20,000 in financial aid to every family.
Other state agencies, such as the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, granted scholarships to the siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces and even in-laws of the slain police commandos.
The National Housing Authority coordinated with the local governments in providing houses for the families and financial aid for the reconstruction of dilapidated houses of other beneficiaries.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Agriculture granted the SAF 44 families’ requests for livelihood and skills training.
The Department of Health, on the other hand, paid for the hospital bills and provided medical assistance to some relatives, including the payment of laboratory fees.
On Feb. 26, 2015, state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. passed a resolution ensuring lifetime coverage for the dependents of the SAF 44. With a report from Jerry E. Esplanada