Duterte gives soldiers, cops huge pay hike

INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

PRESIDENT Duterte has approved an increase in the combat and incentive pay of soldiers and police personnel as part of his campaign promise to improve the lives of the security forces.

“There is an urgent need to increase the said benefits to improve the living conditions of the men in uniform who are engaged in combating threats to national security and public peace and order,” said Mr. Duterte in Executive Order (EO) No. 3, which took effect on Sept. 1.

EO 3 has fixed the combat duty pay of members of the Armed Forces of Philippines and the Philippine National Police to P3,000 a month. The amount is six times the current combat pay of P500 a month for soldiers and nine times the P340 a month for police.

The President also raised the combat incentive pay of both the police and soldiers to P300 a day or a maximum of P3,000 a month from P150 a day or a maximum of P1,500 a month.

The combat pay shall be made for specific combat missions and for personnel enlisted in the mission orders.

The increase in combat pay is part Mr. Duterte’s promise to increase the salaries and perks of soldiers and police.

In his first three months in office, Mr. Duterte has made it his priority to secure the loyalty of the soldiers and police by visiting military camps and police districts, and giving funds for weapons, gear and medical facilities.

Mr. Duterte said the pay hike was in compliance with the constitutional requirement for the state to provide remuneration and benefits to the armed forces to ensure their professionalism.

He said the money would initially be drawn from the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund and would later be included in the annual budget of the military and police.