More housing, medical benefits for cops this year - Puno

The year 2009 promises to be a better year for “homeless” members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

This, after Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno gave assurance that he will work on more housing, medical and educational benefits for the PNP rank and file.

Puno called on the police to step up implementation of its major programs so it can win back the people’s trust and build up its capacity as a premier law enforcement agency.

Since 2006, the PNP leadership has been trying to address its housing problem as study showed that 64 percent of the 125,000 PNP members or roughly 80,000 lack decent homes.

Deputy Director General Ismael Rafanan, PNP deputy chief for administration, said the PNP, through the help of the DILG, has been able to provide housing for “homeless” police personnel.

Rafanan, who is PNP housing czar being No. 2 in the police organization, said the PNP is closely coordinating with a number of non-government organizations like Gawad Kalinga for the police housing projects.

Puno said the DILG will also ensure that the country’s national police force will get enough logistics and resources this year to be able to efficiently carry out its main task of protecting the people.

The DILG chief said the additional procurement of vehicles and firearms this year for the PNP will complement its latest acquisition of 271 patrol jeeps, 215 light transport vehicles, 150 motorcycles and 28 Scene-of-the-Crime-Operation (SOCO) vans.

“We will do all we can to provide for the necessities of your everyday life, including the provision of adequate pay and allowances,” Puno told PNP officers and men in a Camp Crame event. “We will continue to work for more housing for policemen, and we will examine ways to improve medical and education assistance for all of you.”

Puno said he has directed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and other DILG agencies to study ways on how to implement these benefits for policemen this year.

While the DILG is working to increase benefits for police personnel, Puno said the PNP should, in return, intensify efforts to win back the trust and confidence of the people in the organization and “lead the national effort to make our democratic ideals become part and parcel of our everyday lives.”