A claim circulating on Facebook recently that it was former President Benigno Aquino III and not President Rodrigo who approved the salary increase for military and police personnel is missing in context and misleading.
The claim cited a statement issued by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on January 20, 2017, which stated: “Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV yesterday reminded the AFP (Armed Forced of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel that their pay increase for 2017 is the second tranche of Executive Order 201 signed by then President Noynoy Aquino in 2016, and was not due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s efforts.” http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2017/0120_trillanes1.asp
Here are the facts:
Aquino signed Executive Order No. 201, s. 2016 entitled “Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel and Authorizing the Grant of Additional Benefits for Both Civilian and Military and Uniformed Personnel” on February 19, 2016. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2016/02/19/executive-order-no-201-s-2016/
EO No. 201 did not increase the salary pay scale of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) but only their allowances.
On the other hand, Duterte signed on January 1, 2018 Congress Joint Resolution (JR) No. 01 entitled “Joint Resolution Authorizing the Increase in Base Pay of Military and Uniformed Personnel in the Government, and For Other Purposes.”
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2018/01jan/20180101-JR-1-RRD.pdf
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