POLICE OFFICERS in front line duties during the enhanced community quarantine will start receiving their PHP500 daily hazard pay starting Friday (April 17), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.
“That should further boost the financial flexibility of our troops and their families apart from the full range of salary and allowances in April, sans any deduction for loan amortization for this month. Another PHP5,000 windfall is also due for all PSMBFI (Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund, Inc.) members as financial assistance to see them through this crisis,” PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa said in his message via Facebook Live.
He also assured the safety of the police manning quarantine control points (QCPs) by providing them with personal protective equipment (PPE).
Gamboa also thanked all police officers for their unwavering support and sacrifices in performing their duty to uphold law enforcement as the country battles an "unseen enemy".
“As a member of the (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), I am a witness to the hardships of our men and women in uniform who endure long hours at work in the field, away from the comforts of their home and family, and uncertain of the fate that awaits them at the frontline. But needless to say, each and every member of the police force knows by heart the reason why we need to pass this way-- because it is a professional calling and a sworn responsibility to serve, bestowed upon us by the people,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gamboa said the PNP has gathered PHP34 million from its top brass who contributed to help those people heavily affected by the quarantine.
“The latest update I got from the fund administrator is that PHP34-million in cash and pledges have been pledged and collected as of this morning from star rank or top echelon officers and their staff whose number only comprised 20 persons of the total PNP strength,” he said.
Gamboa ordered the Directorate for Comptrollership to turn over the collected funds to the National Treasury or to any appropriate government agencies.
He also assured transparency and real-time monitoring on the status of the funds.
Gamboa said he is targeting to reach an approximate PHP200 million worth of donation from all the personnel contribution.
“A fund-raiser challenge I posed is now snowballing amongst the 205,000-strong national police organization that aims to generate some PHP200-million from our own pockets to augment government funds for Social Amelioration Programs for Filipinos in the marginalized sectors. We can afford to do this--now that we have already secured the means for our own personnel” he said.
He said the Team PNP Bayanihan Fund Challenge has been launched to help the national government in providing help for the "poorest of the poor."
The funds would augment the government budget for the marginalized sector, Gamboa added.
Gamboa said the said fund would be "voluntary" and no standard amount of donation is specified.
The project does not authorize automatic salary deduction or sourcing it from the PNP's appropriations, Gamboa said.
Gamboa told the personnel of the PNP that they have more than enough to share for the Filipinos affected by the lockdown.
Leaders in the command group, directorial staff, police regional offices, national support units, and all star rank officers have pledged to donate 50 percent of their salary for the month of May, Gamboa said.
"More than our services this is our golden opportunity to selflessly share provide social and moral support and economic relief to our fellow Filipinos who belong to the poorest of the poor," Gamboa said in his message to the public. (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
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