(POLITIKO) Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday asked his fellow senators to augment the monthly rice subsidy given to personnel of the 266,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).
During the Senate plenary deliberations on the PNP’s budget proposal for 2023, Estrada was surprised that policemen were only getting a monthly subsidy of P650, or equivalent to 20 kilos of rice a month.
The PNP had earmarked more than P1.6 billion for rice subsidy for police officers next year.
“P650 lang? So wala pang isang kaban yun,” Estrada asked Sen. Sonny Angara, who was defending the PNP’s budget.
“Baka pwede natin dagdagan. Gawin natin 50 kilos isang buwan. Kakayanin ba?” he asked.
Angara replied in the affirmative, saying the PNP will try to source more funds to increase its personnel’s rice subsidy.