Ping on Bato pay hike promise: Hardest part is doing the math

MANILA, Philippines — At least P5-trillion seed money would be needed to fund the planned compensation adjustment for military and uniformed personnel, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Monday.

The senator made the statement in reaction to PNP Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa who promised police retirees of a pension hike if ever he becomes president.

"Good sound byte. The hardest part is doing the math," Lacson said on Twitter.

Lacson, former PNP chief, noted that the Senate had requested the military and the police actual numbers to validate the claim of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that at least P5 trillion would be needed to fund the proposed compensation adjustment.

READ: Bato vows to hike retirees' pay if he becomes president

Last month, the Office of the President had concurred with the draft resolution that the DBM had prepared for the program.

The senator also noted that other agencies said that the seed money for the compensation adjustment for uniformed personnel may even reach P9 trillion.

"That's why we need to hear from the finance centers of the uniformed services and the Land Bank of the Philippines to get official records of actual payouts," Lacson said.

Good sound byte. The hardest part is doing the math. It may be good to inform the retirees though that we’ve requested the AFP and PNP to submit to the Senate actual numbers to validate DBM’s claim that at least Php5T seed money is needed to fund the program.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) October 30, 2017

Yes, T as in trillion as initial seed money. Other agencies say 6T or 9T even. That’s why we need to hear from the finance centers of the uniformed services and the Land Bank of the Philippines to get official records of actual payouts.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) October 30, 2017

Dela Rosa assured police retirees that they are crafting a proposal to include retirees in the planned pay hike for the police and the military.

"Hintayin ninyo maging presidente si Bato. Gawin kong quadruple 'yung sweldo ninyo," Dela Rosa said. (Just wait until Bato becomes president. I will quadruple your pay.)

If signed by both houses of Congress, a Police Officer 1 will enjoy a 100-percent increase in monthly base pay from P14,834 pesos to P29,668.

The proposal also covers personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Public Safety College, Philippine Coast Guard and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.