Top PNP officials await hefty cash gifts for Christmas

He let the cat out of the bag so wives will know that Santa Claus will be giving out, for the first time, hefty cash gifts this Christmas to senior police officers.

High-ranking Philippine National Police officers will get from P100,000 to P400,000, while key officers with no star rank will get P50,000 as Christmas gifts from President Duterte.

Speaking during the Christmas party of PNP employees in Camp Crame on Monday, Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the amounts to be given to the top officers would depend on their star ranks.

Those covered by the gifts included the key officers in the directorial staff, directors to executive officers and chiefs of the different police regional offices. He said the money may  now be claimed from his office.

Dela Rosa said in jest that he decided to announce the gifts to give notice to the first wives of policemen who were present during the occasion.

First time in history

He said he feared the money would otherwise go to “second” wives.

Dela Rosa noted that it was the first time in PNP history that its officers and men were receiving such generous amounts as gifts from their Commander in Chief as a show of his support to his men.

“That’s how much he (President Duterte) supports the PNP. He loves the PNP, he wants you all to be happy,” he said.

Dela Rosa said the celebration would not be complete without the realization of their Christmas wishes—to receive God’s forgiveness for those killed in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“The gift I am asking from you is to pray for us, your loved ones, the police organization and to ask the Lord to forgive us for those who have died in the war on drugs,” he said.

He said there were more than 4,000 people, mostly drug pushers, who were killed in legitimate antidrug operations while another 2,000 people were killed under mysterious circumstances as a consequence of the war.

No killing spree

Contrary to media reports, he said the PNP was not into a killing spree.

He said whatever collateral damage that came with the campaign was neither the objective of the PNP nor the President’s.

Dela Rosa said the President loved the country and the people so much that he decided to embark on a mission to control, if not to totally eradicate, the drug menace in the country.