Bonuses for generals: Who got how much?

Dela Rosa

Hours after Malacañang denied that it had distributed cash gifts for cops, a police source revealed to Inquirer.net that top officials started receiving their Christmas bonuses worth at least P100,00 each.

A police official, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, admitted to claiming the cash gift from President Duterte on Monday, upon the instructions of Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

“It’s true. They’ve given it to us yesterday,” he told Inquirer.net in a phone interview on Tuesday. “It’s given in cash. They had prepared the envelopes already. You just have to sign a list before claiming the money.”

He said he and the rest of PNP officials got the cash from Dela Rosa’s office in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

But Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said earlier on Tuesday that the Christmas bonus for key PNP officials “has not been given and is apparently, not forthcoming.”

Dela Rosa also backtracked on his earlier announcement that Duterte would give Christmas bonuses worth P40,000 to P50,000 only to high-ranking police officials.

“I thought I was going to receive a big amount of money yesterday because I thought Malacañang was going to hand out bonuses,” he said. “But the media kept on asking where the money came from so we had to wait until nothing came.”

Now that the release of bonuses for PNP is uncertain, Dela Rosa said Duterte might give the officials a sack of rice each as a substitute.

The bonuses were publicly announced by Dela Rosa during a Christmas event on Monday at the PNP Grandstand in Camp Crame attended by police officials, noncommissioned officers, nonuniformed personnel and their family members.

Being the only PNP official with a four-star rank, Dela Rosa said he would receive P400,000. Francisco Uyami and Ramon Apolinario, who both have a rank of Deputy Director General, will receive P300,000 each. All officers with Police Director or two-star rank will receive P200,000.

Chief Superintendent or star-rank officers in the PNP directorial staff, regional and provincial directors and heads of national support units down will also receive P100,000.

Key officials with ranks of Senior Superintendent below will receive cash above P50,000.

Dela Rosa has raised eyebrows for accepting cash gifts, which could total millions of pesos, for select officials, a move that could be considered a violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.

Dela Rosa also refused to divulge the source of President Duterte’s funds.

“Definitely it’s not allowed by law that’s why they are denying it,” the source said.

Some junior officials and noncommissioned police officers also found it unfair for the President to give hefty sums to select officials rather than spend them on improving the equipment of the police as the government continues with its war against drugs.

In Camp Aguinaldo, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said soldiers would receive Christmas bonuses and gifts allotted to state workers. —WITH REPORTS FROM MARLON RAMOS