Angara pushes bill increasing PNP’s hazard, combat pay to 50% of monthly salary

Sen. Sonny Angara (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Senator Juan Edgardo Angara on Sunday pushed for the passage of his bill increasing the hazard and combat pay of the uniformed Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel from measly Php580 to at least 50 percent of their monthly salary.

Angara, however, was quick to add that his Senate Bill No. 2594 will cover only the PNP personnel who will be assigned in hazardous and dangerous mission like the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos that carried out mission to arrest two high-profile terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman.

”This is limited to the dangerous mission. We have to differentiate those police personnel. Let’s say those working in the office or working as body guard of the VIP in Metro Manila. We have to consider the degree of difficulties,” Angara explained in a radio dzBB interview on Sunday.

Angara is hoping that his proposed measure will be tackled in the Senate before it takes Lenten break on March 22.

The lawmaker from Aurora province has renewed his call for the passage of the Magna Carta for the PNP which seeks to codify and strengthen the exiting rights and benefits of PNP personnel after learning from the Mamasapano incident survivors that they received only Php240 hazard pay per month and P1,020 combat pay every quarter or Php340 a month.

”I was shocked to learn that they received only Php240 hazard pay per month.

I thought it was per day. So it you divide it by 30, they receive only Php8 each per day,” Angara said.

If the Angara bill will be enacted into law, the monthly hazard and combat pay of a Police Officer II will be increased from the existing total of Php580 to Php8,467 or half of PO2’s monthly base pay of Php16,934 under Salary Standardization Law 3.

“I believe that the measly amount of Php580 a month is not enough to compensate for the bravery, hardship and sacrifice of our elite cops who willingly risk their lives for the security of the Filipino people. The government must show greater appreciation and recognition for their unwavering service by increasing their benefits and allowances,” Angara said.

The SB 2594 also provides for additional benefits for non-uniformed personnel of the PNP.

Under the proposed measure, PNP personnel will also be entitled to reasonable leaves and retirement programs, and a holistic PNP development program which includes provisions on merit promotions, performance evaluation, in-service training, overseas and local scholarships, training grants, incentive award system, among others.