If former President Rodrigo Duterte pampered the uniformed men with hefty salary increases and generous allowances, his successor is trying to match this largesse by granting rice subsidies to the soldiers and policemen for the betterment of their families’ lives.
As most presidents have done previously, uniformed personnel always get a big chunk of the budget pie in the name of fostering security and peace in the country.
But despite such largesse they receive still quite a number go wayward and indulge in illegal and unlawful activities contrary to their Constitutional vows to protect the citizenry and the country at all times.
Such generous pampering to the uniformed men is to ensure that no such armed uprising or plots would take place during their administrations, even if the root of such uneasiness and discord comes from inequality in the distribution of economic wealth to those in the sidelines.
In December, at least, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. gave a token of concern for those in public service by granting a one-time rice subsidy for the Christmas season to all civil servants.
He also authorized a one-time service recognition incentive of P20,000 for executive department personnel, including civilian personnel in the national government agencies like SUCs, GOCCs, regular/contractual/casual employees; members of the military and thepolice; and fire and jail personnel under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
But in the New Year’s call of military top brass in Malacañang, the President again showered largesse to these uniformed personnel by approving the funding requirements for rice subsidies and improved medical services for military personnel.
He received the top brass of AFP and PNP where he stressed that “beyond duty, we prioritize their daily lives. I have approved a specific budget for rice subsidies and Tertiary Health Care at the AFP Medical Center for advanced medical services and overall wellness support,” he posted in his Facebook page.
4Ps beneficiaries
Now contrast this overwhelming support for the uniformed personnel with those in the fringes, or those legit beneficiaries in the list of 4Ps program. (To recall, the list was laundered by former Social Welfare Secretary now Senator Raffy Tulfo, who pared the list to less than half and later on enlarging the list even more).
These 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) recipients used to get P3,200 to P3,300 a month to subsidize their three children’s education and health and for their rice allotment, the last of which they got only in 2022 (when Marcos was just new in the job).
But for more than a year now, many have died waiting for such allocations entitled to them by law and others barely live decently.
Such inequities and injustice to the poor (including farmers of rice, vegetable and other high value crops) are the main cause of discontent and unrest among the people, which the administration continues to turn a blind eye to.
Yawning poverty and rising inflation, including transport and cost of living expenses have risen to the sky, still the only sectors of society that the government cares for are the military and policemen who, they fear, might just wage an armed uprising. This is a complete misunderstanding of current realities.
The government pampers the rich and wealthy investors with mega projects that only they directly benefit from immediately but the poor only stand by the fringes in awe of such projects that could not even fill their empty stomachs.
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