Families of 44 SAF heroes receive benefits – PNP

In a surprise visit to Camp Crame last night, President Benigno S. Aquino III and members of his Cabinet met with the families of the 44 PNP Special Action Force troopers. The President talked with each family, spending several hours at Crame. — February 18, 2015. (Photo: Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA – The families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who died in the firefight with joint forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last month have already received varying amounts of benefits from the government, Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office (PIO) said on Friday.

Cerbo said the beneficiaries of the 44 SAF heroes received benefits amounting to PhP250,000 each from the Office of the President, aside from 25 percent of basic life insurance and special financial assistance from the PNP depending on the rank of the SAF member.

The maximum amount received by the beneficiaries is about PhP764,000 while the lowest amount is PhP407,000, he added.

Aside from these financial benefits, Cerbo said the PNP is now in the process of computing the unused leave credits of the slain policemen which will be converted into cash to be deposited in their ATM accounts on or about Feb.

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He added that by March 16, the families of the slain SAF commandos will receive monthly pension from the PNP.

Meanwhile, the process of completing the documents for burial and gratuity benefits coming from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) is being done, Cerbo said.

The SAF heroes were killed in the course of the successful effort to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan.

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