Congress probe on pay cut of RP peacekeepers sought

Representative Roilo Golez (2D, Parañaque City) called for a congressional inquiry into the plan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to reduce the allowances of soldiers sent abroad as United Nations peacekeepers. Golez said the pay cut is contrary to the framework and guidelines set for Philippine participation in UN peacekeeping efforts, GMANews.TV learned Sunday. The Philippines is the 26th largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Liberia, Sudan and East Timor. Golez filed a House resolution seeking to enable the Committee on National Defense and the committee on foreign affairs to investigate the Armed Forces' plan. Families of Filipino peacekeepers cried foul last May upon learning of the military's move to withhold 40 percent of the allowances of soldiers sent on a UN mission. The disgruntled peacekeepers reportedly expressed openness to join the mutinous Magdalo group after the AFP decided to withhold a portion of their salaries. A solider or a police peacekeeper gets $1,000 monthly allowance. The country already dispatched 548 peacekeepers abroad, of whom 374 are from the AFP while 174 are from the PNP. Most of them are sent to countries racked by civil wars. The AFP wants 40 percent of the $1,000 allowance so it can to recover the cost of the troop deployment, including expenses for training, uniforms and communication equipment. Earlier, the Foreign Affairs department urged the AFP to suspend the pay reduction and to pay peacekeepers in full "to address possible demoralization."–GMANews.TV