Pay hike may prevent cops from turning bad, senators told
PHOTO FROM PNP PIO
Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel might be discouraged to commit illegal acts if their pay would be raised.
This is, at least, the hope of Police Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez, when he faced a Senate hearing on Wednesday on the PNP’s support for a joint resolution that would raise the base pay of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) in government.
“This will surely go a long way in uplifting and boosting the morale of the PNP personnel,” Mendez said during the hearing.
“And we’re hoping that with this substantial increase in the salaries of the PNP personnel, we will be able to discourage them from committing illegal acts and will help us in our ongoing internal cleansing of our force ….”
With increased pay, the police official believes the PNP personnel would value their service more.
Police Director Rene Aspera also expressed hope the pay hike would encourage more civilians to join the police service.
“Because right now, we’re having a hard time in recruitment process so with this impending increase in our salary, this will encourage our civilian to join the uniformed service,” Aspera said
For Undersecretary Catalino Cuy, officer in charge at the Department of Interior and Local Government, the pay hike is a “blessing” to the MUP, especially this Christmas season.
Cuy noted that under the proposed the resolution, the base pay of a Police Office 1 would be raised to P29,000 from the current P14,800 while all other ranks would receive an average increase of 59 percent in their salaries.
“In anticipation of the Christmas season, this is a blessing that everyone of us is looking forward with much hope and prayers,” he said.
“While we laugh and mingle with loved ones during the season, our uniformed men and women will be working for hours to protect the public and make them safe. These are hour heroes, those who risk their lives everyday to protect our country and make it a better place, —police, jail guards, soldier, firefighters and members of the armed forces,” Cuy added.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public orders and illegal drugs, said the measure would now be endorsed for plenary consideration.
