Proposed pay hike for military, uniformed personnel hurdles Senate panel

A joint Senate panel has approved the joint resolution that seeks to hike the base pay of policemen, soldiers and other uniformed personnel in government.

The development came following a hearing conducted by a joint panel consisting of the Senate committees on national defense, public order and dangerous drugs, and finance on Wednesday in connection with Senate Joint Resolution 9.

"Tapos na, i-endorse na sa floor [for deliberations]," Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairperson of the public order committee, told reporters.

Lacson also said he would appeal to Senator Gregorio Honasan II, chairman of the committee on national defense, to push for the increase of pension for 200,000 retirees.

"I’m appealing to Senator Honasan kung pwede i-adopt ang kasama ang pensioners then bahala na kung ma-adopt sa bicam or kung adopt sa bicam, bahala na kung veto ng president, at least we tried," Lacson said.

"Definite na yung sa base pay—military, police—all the uniformed personnel. Definite na yun. No-brainer na ‘yun. Ang issue na lang na pinag-uusapan, makikinabang din ba 'yung mga retired dun sa increase. Sa akin ang position ko is they should also reap the benefits of this law as passed,” he added.

A counterpart House resolution moved past the appropriations committee on Tuesday.

The coverage of the modified base pay includes military personnel under the Department of National Defense and uniformed personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.

According to Lacson, the base pay hike for the military and uniformed personnel would cost the government around P60 billion to P80 billion. The pension for retirees, meanwhile, would cost P38 billion.

He said the base pay hike would be charged to the General Appropriations Act and the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III earlier said they plan to implement the base pay hike by next year.

"The President wants to double the pay of the military but this needs legal basis so the Senate is fully supportive of the effort," Pimentel said. — RSJ, GMA News