BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Malacañang supports a proposal to increase the salary of civil servants.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV recently filed Senate Bill 1689 that will provide adequate incentives to public servants like public school teachers and policemen, and improve the quality of public services.
“It is more important to give priority to the welfare of our public school teachers, soldiers, police and government employees,” agreed Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma Jr.
Coloma said the proposal resembles a policy in Singapore where salaries of government officials leverage that of corporate executives.
He, however, said the government must know how much funds will be allocated for the proposed law.
Trillanes said his proposal is also an “anti-corruption measure.”
“Our objective is to lift up the lives of the people who work for the government. The salary and benefits of servants in the public sector are currently not enough,” Trillanes stressed.
They should receive the “right” compensation, the senator added.
Under the Trillanes bill, personnel with the lowest government rank will receive P16,000 from P9,000. Military and uniformed personnel, on one hand, will have a base pay between P23,000 and P282,800.
“We consulted the Department of Budget and Management. They have apprehensions but they must see the wisdom of how much we are going to save here ultimately,” said Trillanes./PN
