DAVAO CITY, Philippines – More than 250,000 soldiers and policemen are set to receive P5,000 in additional allowances next month in place of the raise in pay President Duterte had promised them.

Duterte promised personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) a raise, but the annual budget submitted for 2017 does not include any increase in salaries.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that the matter can be remedied if Duterte issues an executive order mandating an across-the-board increase in the allowances of soldiers and policemen by September.

“We hope the President would sign the EO that we have drafted soon so we could immediately effect the increase in the allowances of soldiers and policemen,” he said.

Diokno said the increase in the salary of soldiers and policemen will hopefully be in effect by 2018.

He spoke at a press conference for the government’s social development summit in Davao City yesterday.

Diokno said there is still a problem in the budget for the pension of AFP retirees, which has remained much bigger than the actual allocation for the existing salaries of the military personnel.

“The problem has always been there since the time of former president (Fidel) Ramos and has remained uncorrected by the succeeding administrations,” he said.

However, there will be no pay raise for teachers and nurses yet as soldiers and policemen have to be prioritized, Diokno said.

Awardees

Meanwhile, 27 policemen received awards yesterday during the 115th Police Service Anniversary celebration at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

President Duterte led the celebration of more than a century of commitment and dedication of police officers.

The PNP celebrates Aug. 17 as Police Service Anniversary in commemoration of the joint founding anniversaries of the Insular Constabulary established in 1901 and the Integrated National Police organized in 1975, both forerunner organizations of the PNP.

The 115th Police Service Anniversary is celebrated with the theme: “Hamon ng Pagbabago, Pinag-ibayong Serbisyo.”

Leading the individual awardees is Police Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon from Police Regional Office 11. He received the Medalya ng Kasanayan and achievement award being the Best Senior Police Commissioned Officer for Administration.

Supt. Reynald Ariño from Special Action Force received the Medalya ng Kasanayan and achievement award for being the Best Senior Police Commissioned Officer for Operations.

Other individual awardees were Insp. Lito Pirote from Anti-Illegal Drugs Group – Best Junior Police Commissioned Officer; Senior Police Officer 1 Mhay Rubio from PRO 3 – Best Senior Police Non-Commissioned Officer; Police Officer 2 Jonathan Robles from PRO 3 – Best Junior Police Non-Commissioned Officer.

Other awardees are non-uniform personnel Rosana Tupaz from PRO 6 – Best Non-Uniformed Personnel (Supervisory Level); and Mary Jeanne Nadres from Directorate for Plans – Best Non-Uniformed Personnel (Non-Supervisory Level).

Unit awardees are: Police Regional Office 2 – Best Police Regional Office, award received by Chief Supt Gilbert Sosa, Regional Director of PRO 2; Special Action Force – Best National Operational Support Unit, award received by Chief Supt. Benjamin Lusad, director of SAF.

Information Technology Management Service – Best National Administrative Support Unit, award received by Chief Supt. Edwin Jose Nemenzo, Director of ITMS; Bulacan Police Provincial Office – Best Police Provincial Office, award received by Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., acting provincial director of Bulacan PPO; Iligan City Police Office – Best City Police Office, award received by Senior Supt. Leony Roy Ga, city director of Iligan CPO.

Sta. Rosa City Police Station – Best Component City Police Station, award received by Supt. Giovanni Martinez, chief of police of Sta. Rosa CPS; Nagcarlan Municipal Police Station – Best Municipal Police Station, award received by Chief Insp. Leopoldo Ferrer Jr., chief of police of Nagcarlan MPS; Regional Public Safety Battalion 13 – Best Regional Public Safety Battalion, award received by Supt. Chito Bersaluna, acting battalion commander of RPSB 13;

Pangasinan Provincial Public Safety Company – Best Provincial Public Safety Company, award received by Supt. Virgilio Pascua Jr., company commander of Pangasinan PPSC; Zamboanga City Public Safety Company – Best City Public Safety Company, award received by Supt. Areston Limos, company commander of Zamboanga CPSC; Women And Children Protection Desk PRO 11 – Best Women And Children Protection Desk, award received by Chief Insp. Jacqueline Antero, chief of WCPD PRO 11; Regional Police Human Rights Desk PRO 3 – Best Regional Human Rights Desk, award received by Supt. Hercules Ileto, chief of Regional Human Rights Desk PRO 3.

Police Strategy Management Unit PRO COR – Best Police Strategy Management Unit, award received by Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, DRDA of PRO COR; and Regional Special Training Unit PRO 2 – Best Regional Special Training Unit, award received by Supt. Jojo de la Cruz, chief of RSTU PRO 2.

President Duterte presented Special Awards to Police Regional Office 5 – unit with most members of private armed groups neutralized during the election period (PRO level), award received by Chief Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Regional Director of PRO 5; Cebu Police Provincial Office – unit with most number of firearms accounted, seized, recovered and surrendered during the election period (PPO/CPO level), award received by Senior Supt. Jose Macanas, acting provincial director of Cebu PPO; Police Regional Office 13 – unit with the least number of election related violent incidents during the election period, award received by Chief Supt. Rolando Felix, regional director of PRO 13.

Regional Special Operations Task Group, Pangasinan – Best Regional Special Operations Task Group, award received by Chief Supt. Marlou Chan, deputy director, DIPO-Eastern Mindanao; Rizal Police Provincial Office PRO 4A – unit with most number of confiscated, seized, recovered and surrendered loose firearms, award received by Senior Supt. Adriano Enong, provincial director of Rizal PPO; and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – unit with the notable accomplishment in the campaign against illegal drugs, award received by Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, acting director of CIDG.

Honored

President Duterte honored one of the fallen soldiers killed in an encounter in Midsayap town, Cotabato upon his body’s arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday afternoon.

The remains of Petty Officer 3 Darwin Espallardo of the Navy arrived on board Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 858 at 3:40 p.m. from Zamboanga City.

Present to receive the body were his widow Cleofe and son Dwyndy ll, and Navy officers and enlisted men, as well as Naval Intelligence Group Capt. Caesar Valencia.

Duterte arrived at the tarmac one hour and 10 minutes after Espallardo’s remains landed. He comforted the widow and son of the fallen soldier.

Espallardo, from Legazpi, Albay was killed along with Corporal Jose Miravalles and Private First Class Jaypee Duran, both of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division Recon Company when they were about to serve search warrants against a certain Commander Madrox, reportedly a leader of a Moro “lawless” group in Barangay Nabalawag in Midsayap, Cotabato at 4:30 a.m. last Aug. 14.

Madrox was also killed in the ensuing encounter, according to reports.

He was known for operating a drug ring which has distributors in remote villages in Cotabato’s Midsayap and Aleosan towns.

Espallardo was given a meritorious medal and medal of valor.

The Espallardo family will receive P250,000 cash assistance, livelihood, housing assistance, as well as college scholarship from the government.

Duterte promised the family that they will receive the benefits within a week. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rudy Santos