EDITORIAL - Missing allowances

Even as the nation’s Catholic faithful felt themselves closer to their Maker during the visit of Pope Francis, an anomaly was apparently unfolding among the police personnel tasked to secure the pontiff. With the pope’s departure, complaints have surfaced that the cops have not been given their full allowances for the papal assignment, during which many of them worked overtime and canceled days off to work in sun, rain and cold.

The Philippine National Police has launched an investigation of complaints that several of the 28,000 officers who were on duty for the papal visit received only P700 of the P2,400 they were supposed to get as special allowance for the five-day visit. The officers were assigned in the cities of Manila, Pasay and Tacloban. If all the 28,000 cops failed to receive P1,400 each, that’s a P39.2-million windfall for whoever kept the funds. A PNP spokesman said a police official was being questioned. The official was not identified.

This is just the latest scandal to hit the PNP, whose chief is under an unprecedented six-month suspension in connection with a graft case. Several former top PNP officials are also being held without bail for plunder in connection with questionable supply purchases.

A positive aspect of the allowance controversy is that an investigation is underway. The case should serve as a lesson for the PNP as it prepares for the next major event of the year: the country’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.

Apart from the PNP, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority should review provisions for meeting the needs of its enforcers, who also worked overtime to help ensure the success of the papal visit. Many of the MMDA personnel were downed by severe colds and fever after the visit. The disclosure about the distribution of adult diapers – practical but amusing – opened the MMDA enforcers to public ridicule. The measure needs review if it will be implemented again for APEC.

In any workplace, proper compensation and reasonable care for the welfare of employees lead to better performance. This is true for both PNP and MMDA personnel.