Duterte threatened to resign if salaries of cops, soldiers will not be raised —Bato

President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to resign if the salaries of police and military personnel will not be raised in 2018, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa revealed Monday.

“Sabi ni Presidente sa kanyang Gabinete at sa kanyang mga kaibigan sa Congress na if by the end if 2017, if I cannot fulfill my promise to increase, times two, ‘yung sweldo ng pulis at sundalo, magre-resign ako,” Dela Rosa said.

He made the statement in his speech during the mass oath-taking of 753 police personnel promoted for liberating Marawi City and defending their station against the New People’s Army.

“Hindi n’yo alam ‘yan, ngayon ko lang sasabihin sa inyo. Sinabi talaga ni Presidente na ‘Magre-resign ako dahil wala na akong mukhang ihaharap sa kanila, sinabi ko ‘yan, that was my promise,’” he said.

Dela Rosa said the Cabinet and Congress fast-tracked procedures to fulfill the President’s promise.

“Lingid sa kaalaman ninyo, before the year ended 2017, nag-cramming 'yan, nag-rally ‘yung Gabinete at saka ‘yung Congress na ma-deliver 'yung promise ni Presidente,” he said.

“Totoo nga na nangyari. So magpasalamat tayo sa ating mahal na Presidente,” he added.

Duterte signed Joint Resolution No. 1 authorizing the increase in base pay of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) in the government on the first day of the year.

It also took effect last January 1.

The joint resolution was passed separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives last month. —KG, GMA News