City mulls additional benefits for policemen

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña is considering the possibility of providing additional benefits to members of the city’s police force in lieu of a proposal to increase their incentive allowance.

Councilor Augustus Pe, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Safety of the City Council had proposed to double the monthly incentive allowance of police personnel, but Osmeña said the Department of Budget and Management denied the request as early as 2001 because it is not covered by an Executive Order.

“Ang paghatag nato og P1,000 nga allowance sa mga pulis covered na sa EO gikan sa presidente and recommended by DBM. We cannot increase that. Ingon ang DBM nga kung ma-approve ning imong request mayor, tanang pulis sa Pilipinas moreklamo gyud sa ubang mayor, so, kinahanglan gyud nga ang tanang LGU’s mohatag, pero duna may mga LGU’s nga dili ka-afford,” Osmeña said.

In lieu of an increase, Osmeña said the city might just give additional benefits such as mobile phones and other devices, especially to those assigned in the intelligence unit.

The Cebu City Police Office has more than 900 police personnel.

Pe had said it is about time to increase their incentive allowance because they have been doing a “fine job” with the 37 percent decrease in all crimes since 2005.

From January to October this year, index crimes in the city decreased by 49 percent while the number of non-index crimes decreased by 43 percent.

Pe said the decrease is very significant, considering that the number of policemen remains the same and the population has increased by more than 10 percent.

He, however, clarified that those policemen who failed in the latest proficiency test will not be given an increase, if ever.

“Wala na hinooy nagpabadlong ron nga mga pulis, kadto na lang dili makapasar sa proficiency test maoy dili mahatagan sa incentive allowance,” Pe said.

Over 100 policemen in the city failed in the quarterly gun proficiency test conducted last October. — Elly T. Bolonos/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)