Press Release
May 22, 2018

Sen. Lacson's opening statement at the Senate hearing into the alleged illegal withholding of PNP-SAF personnel's allowances
May 22, 2018
More at: https://pinglacson.net/2018/05/22/senate-hearing-on-withholding-of-saf-allowances/

When the stomach protests, prepare for revolution. This is one painful reality that leaders of some countries fail to make sense of and which cost their fall from power. In a setting like the PNP SAF, I would say: Do not mess with the mess allowance unless you are prepared to face a mutiny.

Indeed, recognizing the nature of their work as Tagapagligtas of our country's police force, the uniformed personnel of the PNP-SAF who engage in life-threatening police operations are given an additional Daily Additional Subsistence Allowance (ASA) amounting to P30 per day or P900 a month, and allocations for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Hazardous Pay (EOD HDP).

However, reports revealed that for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017, the 4,000 members of the SAF only received their share of the ASA for the months of January 2016 and January to July 2017. It was reported as well that the supposed allowances, according to then P/Dir. Benjie Lusad and Sr. Supt. Dizon, were used for operational expenses, fellowship, and training, without however showing any proof of its disbursements and liquidation as mandated by law.

As a former law enforcer myself, I know for a fact that allowances like this, even as meager as P30 per day, go a long way for our men and women in uniform, even their families.

We are gathered this morning in reference to Resolution No. 712, which this representation filed last April 17, 2018 to ferret out the truth, in aid of legislation, on the alleged illegal withholding of the Daily Additional Subsistence Allowance and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Hazardous Pay allotted to the members of the SAF.

Our SAF troopers have suffered the lowest of the lows following the death of their 44 comrades during the successful 2015 Mamasapano operation. We cannot allow, yet again, another injustice to be committed against our heroes in uniform who are in the forefront in our fight against the ills of terrorism and criminality.

With that, let us begin.

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