LA TRINIDAD, Benguet– Police Regional Office-Cordillera Regional Director Police Chief Superintendent Elmo Francis Sarona encouraged the Cordillera police force to perform their duties better with the increase of their salaries starting this 2018.
“We have been further blessed this year with a higher salary, with some of us receiving a 100% increase on our base pay. It is therefore even more incumbent upon us to return ten-fold to the community what we are enjoying by selflessly serving our countrymen,” Sarona said in his message during the PRO-Cor New Year’s Call at the Camp Bado Dangwa on Friday.
Sarona said that with the salary increase, police officers in the Cordillera should be inspired to perform their duties better and public service will be more efficient.
“Sa pag taas ng sweldo sana mainspire lalo ang mga pulis natin to perform their job better and give their best as well,” Sarona said.
“Siguro naman wala nang rason para maging “financially distressed” ang ating mga kapulisan so much so that they will not commit any mistake,” he added.
Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Joint Resolution No. 01 which increases the base pay of military and uniformed personnel in the government. The joint resolution was earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on January 1.
It prescribes a two-tranche increase in 2018 and 2019 while some of the ranks will retain their base pay in the implementation of the modified pay schedule in 2019.
Starting January 1, the base pay of an entry Police Officer 1 (PO1) personnel will double, as well as their counterparts in the military and other uniformed services. A PO1 will now receive P29, 668, a 100 percent increase from the previous P14, 834 monthly basic pay.
The increase is not 100 percent for all ranks but declines as the position goes higher, as government prioritized low-ranking officers amid budget constraints.
“Dahil sila ang pinaka mababa ang sweldo, it is just fair that they are the ones who will receive the 100 percent increase in salary, other officers will also follow with a gradual increase,” explained Sarona. **PIA CAR
