SENATOR PANFILO M. Lacson is pushing for the inclusion of the increase in pension of retired soldiers and policemen in the joint resolution authorizing the increase in base pay of the government’s uniformed personnel.

“I’m appealing to (Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense and security),” said Mr. Lacson, noting that the Senate could adopt the measure and just leave it to the bicameral conference with the House of Representatives if it would be rejected, or the President if he chooses to veto it.

The increase in the base pay of military and uniformed personnel (MUP), according to Mr. Lacson, will be sourced from the 2018 General Appropriations Act, which is why it should be immediately passed so that it could be incorporated in next year’s budget.

The senator said the funding will be taken specifically from the “MPBF (Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund)” in the proposed 2018 budget.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in a statement on its Web site, said that if the resolution is “signed by both houses of Congress, it will double the base pay of a Police Officer (PO)1 in the Philippine National Police (PNP), a Private in the Department of National Defense (DND), and equivalent ranks in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).”

“A PO1 will enjoy a 100% increase in monthly Base Pay from the current 14,834 pesos to 29,668 pesos. Overall, the adjustments will result to a 58.7% average increase in Base Pay for all MUP ranks, effective Jan. 1, 2018,” DBM said.

DBM said the increase in base pay of MUP would cost an additional P63.4 billion.

Mr. Lacson said including the pension increase is “doable” because there is a lot of “excess” funds as the Senate has seen during the budget deliberations.

He cited that there is at least P35.9 billion in floating fund.

The only question now, said Mr. Lacson, is “whether Malacañang (is willing) to include the retired sector.”

For his part, Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III said the legislative body will first sort out the tax reform and budget bills, then it can focus on the MUP base pay increase.

Mr. Pimentel acknowledged that under the military setup, increasing the base pay of active personnel automatically increases the pension rates.

“(In the) military side. When you increase the base of the military personnel, you will also have to increase the pension of the retirees kasi nga indexed daw ’yun, konektado (because they are indexed, or connected),” said Mr. Pimentel, whose version of the bill suspends that connection.

“Of course, I understand merong mga maapektuhan (some will be affected), may mga reaksyon (there are reactions), so hindi ito (so this would not be) smooth-sailing… kailangang pag-usapan (a dialogue is needed),” he said.

Mr. Pimentel also explained that the government may not afford to increase the base pay of the military along with the pension of the retirees. “In a perfect world, kailangang ganun (that is how it should be) , (but) can we afford it?” — Arjay L. Balinbin

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