House OKs on 2nd reading pay hike for soldiers, cops, uniformed personnel

The House of Representatives on Wednesday night approved on second reading the resolution seeking to increase the base pay of police, military, and other uniformed personnel in government in 2018.

House Joint Resolution No. 18 applies to all military personnel under the Department of National Defense, uniformed personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource  Information Authority, according to a copy of the adopted resolution posted on Twitter by Super Radyo dzBB's Rowena Salvacion.

Pagtaas ng sahod ng mga sundalo, pulis at iba pang uniformed personnel, aprubado na ng kamara sa ikalawang pagbasa. | via @wengsalvacion https://t.co/IojURUn7BI

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 7, 2017

The development came a little over a week after the House Committee on Appropriations approved the joint resolution.

The military and uniformed personnel's compensation package needs to be "adjusted to make it more commensurate with their critical role in maintaining national security, and peace and order," according to the resolution.

The modified Base Pay Schedule will be implemented in two years, starting January 1, 2018 for uniformed personnel from the rank of candidate soldier to chief master sergeant and their equivalent ranks.

The ranks of first chief master sergeant up to general and their equivalent ranks, on the other hand, will see a hike starting January 1, 2019.

All military and uniformed personnel will also be entitled to a fixed hazard pay of P540 per month under this resolution, which was introduced by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, and Committee on Appropriations Chairman Karlo Alexei Nograles.

A counterpart Senate resolution hurdled a joint Senate panel on November 29.

At a press conference on Thursday, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said members of the Makabayan bloc voted against the adoption of the resolution and instead proposed at least a P3,000-pay hike not just for military and uniformed personnel but for workers across the board, including utility workers, clerks, and nurses.

"Unfortunately, tinanggihan ito," Tinio said. 

He also slammed the pace with which the resolution is being deliberated upon.

"Tandaan natin, isang hearing lang 'yan sa Committee on Appropriations, isang salang lang sa plenaryo, tapos by next week, third reading na 'yan, sigurado...implement[ed] by January," he said.

"So bakit ba agad-agaran, mabilisan? Alam naman natin, bahagi ito nung pagpapalakas ni Pangulong Duterte lalo na sa militar at pulis dahil nga sa tunguhing tiraniko, at pagtatatag ng diktadura na alam naman natin kinakailangan dito para magtagumpay ang solid na suporta ng militar at pulis," he said. — RSJ, GMA News