MANILA, Philippines – There will be no increase in the salaries of soldiers and policemen this month, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno told the Senate yesterday.

Diokno told the Senate hearing that there is no item in the 2016 national budget to cover the increase promised by President Duterte.

During the hearing, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV aired his disappointment at how military men and women were given false hope by the President.

Trillanes said Duterte should stop making promises he cannot keep, particularly the incremental increase in the salaries of the Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel starting this month.

“You better advise your President because he is making promises left and right. We don’t want to end up saying that he is all talk,” Trillanes, chair of the Senate committee on civil service, government reorganization and professional regulation, told Diokno during the hearing.

“Let us not play with the emotions of the soldiers. They don’t deserve that. Don’t make promises that you cannot keep,” he added.

In a speech last month before military and police forces in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, the President said he would provide an incremental increase in their salaries starting this month.

Duterte tasked Diokno to find a way to implement this even though he was aware there was nothing earmarked for it in this year’s budget.

“We’re still looking at it, how to implement it. But there will be something, I’m sure. Maybe in the last quarter there would be something. But not August as promised,” Diokno told reporters after the hearing.

Diokno said he was still busy with preparations for the 2017 national budget so he has little time to go over this year’s budget to look for funding sources to implement the President’s promise.

At the very least, Diokno said the incremental increase would be implemented next year through the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

“This is already programmed for next year. They will be part of the SSL. Then on top of that they will also enjoy an adjustment,” he said.

During the campaign, Duterte promised the uniformed service that they would enjoy a 100- percent increase in their salaries.

Diokno said this is “doable” and could be implemented by January next year.

“I think the police would understand that this cannot be a one-time thing. He (Duterte) did not promise that this will be available tomorrow but over time,” he said.

Diokno said he would submit the 2017 national budget to the President tomorrow, after which this would be submitted to the House of Representatives for review next Monday.

Streamlining

In the same hearing, Diokno said the administration is set to undertake a streamlining of the bureaucracy and is offering an attractive severance package to make this happen.

Diokno revealed that a bill for the streamlining or “rightsizing” program is being prepared and would be submitted to Congress for its consideration soon.

Diokno pointed out there are around 1.5 million people employed by the government, half a million of whom are teachers.

Another half million represent the military and police personnel and the balance belong to the rest of government offices.

“There are many agencies that I believe have outlived their purpose. In fact you need to merge, you need to split,” Diokno told the Senate.

He explained the program would be voluntary, but in order to entice more people to participate, a very attractive package would be offered for those who would avail themselves of this.

“We might in fact expand some, reduce some, merge some, abolish some outright. We don’t know yet exactly. What I’m saying is I think it’s been too long since the last time we streamlined the bureaucracy,” Diokno said.

He noted that every time a new administration takes over, “they try to put their own people there” and, in some cases, there are positions created that are not necessary.