Fulfilling an electoral promise that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his
running mate Senator Alan Cayetano made during the campaign season, the Senator
filed a bill seeking to increase the salaries and other incentives of law
enforcers in the country, particularly officials of the Philippine National
Police (PNP).
Cayetano's bill, known as the Philippine National Police Compensation Act of 2016, was filed at the beginning of the 17th Congress, along with nine other "reform measures" aimed at creating real change.
Cayetano said his bill aims to increase the minimum base pay and allowances of PNP personnel, allowing the lowest ranking police officer to receive a gross minimum pay of P50,530 per month, inclusive of benefits and allowances.
Cayetano explained that police personnel in the country do not receive adequate compensation from the government despite the risk to their lives brought by their profession. The senator also said the police force's low wages makes them vulnerable to the temptation of corruption.
Compared to other neighboring countries, Filipino law enforcers are severely underpaid, Cayetano noted. An entry level Filipino Police Officer (PO1) only receives a basic monthly salary of P14,834, way below the monthly living wage of P27,510 for a family of five (5) set by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.
Cayetano said a significant increase in the monthly salaries and other benefits of our policemen and women is a step towards uplifting the morale of the police force, revitalizing the police institution and attracting the best and the brightest young individuals to join the PNP.
"It is not enough that we punish and remove corrupt cops from the service. Without just compensation, crime and corruption will only seduce what is left of the government's honest, yet, impoverished police personnel," Cayetano said.
Cayetano also filed other "campaign promise bills" during the first day of the 17th Congress, including an updated Freedom of Information (FOI) bill and a Mindanao Peace and Development Bill.#
Note: also attached is a copy of the bill filed by Sen.
Alan in word format, to be numbered by the Senate.
