Despite the promise, no year-end AFP salary increase.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it would be “impossible” for the salary increase for the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines this year 2016.
Lacson issued the comment after President Rodrigo Duterte committed to increase the pay raise of soldiers and policemen.
Speaking at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City on Friday night (August 5), Duterte told soldiers their pay will be doubled come yearend.
“By December, you’d have doubled your salaries. This August, umpisa na, ngayong August. Tignan ninyo iyang pay checks ninyo. Nandiyan na iyan,” he said as the soldiers cheered in between his sentences.
Duterte initially announced a salary increase for men and women in uniform during his visit in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija on July 26. He said soldiers’ pay will have an incremental increase starting August and tasked Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to find a way to deliver.
But according to Lacson, it is impossible to include the salary increase in the 2017 General Approriations Act because the measure for such is already about to submitted for approval.
“I don’t see how ma-incorporate ang salary increase ng pulis at military. Hindi na makakahabol yan,” Lacson told reporters.
Lacson said the earliest that the goverment can include the salary increase in the national budget would be in 2018.
“Puwede naman gawin iyan sa 2018, Presidente pa rin siya sa 2018. So magkaroon ng substantial compliance,” Lacson said.
“But for the 2017 budget, I doubt. I think sa 2018 he’ll make sure. Pero sa 2017 it’s highly improbable if not impossible,” he added.
Lacson said funds from other agencies could also actually be realigned for the PNP and AFP personnel’s salary increase, but that doing so would be “substantial.”
There are estimated 140 to 150,000 police officers in the country and while AFP is composed of 150,000 military personnel.
