Higher combat pay for cops pushed

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu sixth district Representative Gabriel Luis Quisumbing will file a bill Monday to seek to increase the combat pay of policemen.

Quisumbing came up with the proposal after the ongoing investigation into the Mamasapano massacre revealed that government forces in conflict receive only P240 hazard pay or combat pay a month.

It was also learned during investigation that the combat pay is only given to police and military personnel assigned to critical areas or tactical units like the 44 members of the Special Action Force who died in the carnage.

“With risk inherent in such missions, the concerned PNP troops only receive measly salaries, allowances and benefits in exchange for the dangers they face in fulfilling their duties. This proposed bill seeks to increase the Combat Duty Pay of all personnel of PNP to twenty-five percent of their base pay and respectively providing for a mission allowance of fifty percent of their base pay,” Quisumbing’s explanatory note says.

The proposal is entitled, “An act increasing the combat duty pay and providing mission allowance of all commissioned and non-commissioned personnel of the PNP from P240 per month to 25 percent and 50 percent, respectively, of their base pay and providing funds thereof.

If approved, funds for this purpose will be charged against the savings of the Department of Interior and Local Government for the current and from general appropriations of the national government in succeeding years. —JMO (FREEMAN)