Napolcom says no ”double compensation” for police personnel

February 4, 2020

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Tuesday said there is no "double compensation" for police personnel after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ordered the suspension of its benefit grant.

In a statement, Napolcom Vice-Chairman and Executive Officer Rogelio Casurao said benefits from the commission and from the Philippine National Police (PNP) are distinct and separate.

Last January, DBM temporarily suspended the payment by the Napolcom of pension.

“Under the Napolcom-administered PNP Welfare Benefits Program, the Commission grants the payment of gratuity pay and monthly pension to PNP retirees who were permanently incapacitated while in the performance of duty (TPPD benefits) and to the beneficiaries of PNP members who died in line of duty (death benefits),'' said Casurao.

The PNP does not give death and TPPD benefits, but only grants sickness Benefits. Aside from the gratuity pay and pension, only the Napolcom grants burial pay to PNP beneficiaries,” he said.

“On the other hand, under the PNP Retirement Benefits program, all police retirees receive gratuity pay or pension depending on the length of service and whether their retirement is due to compulsory or optional retirement, disability or death,” Casurao added.

Casurao said the directive of the DBM and the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) arose from the fact both the Napolcom and the PNP provide similar police benefits to PNP retirees and beneficiaries.

“Both the DBM letter and COA report claimed that the payment of separate police benefits by the Napolcom, under the PNP Welfare Benefits Program, and the PNP, under the PNP Retirement Benefits Program, constitutes double compensation which is prohibited by Section 8, Article IX-B of the 1987 Constitution,” he said. 

Casurao said the Napolcom has been administering the death and disability benefits for the uniformed members of the police since the enactment on September 8, 1966 of RA 4864 (Police Act of 1966) which mandated the creation of the Napolcom.

“Said law explicitly provides that all compensation granted therein is not subject to attachment, levy, execution or any tax whatsoever, and that claims under said Act shall not prescribe,” Casurao said.

The PNP, on the other hand, started to administer separate police benefits on February 26, 1992 pursuant to RA 6975, which mandated the creation of a Board of Officers that formulated Board Resolution No. 8 entitled “Resolution Establishing a Retirement and Separation Benefit System for the Uniformed Personnel of the Philippine National Police.”

Section 16 of that board resolution directed the continued grant of death and disability benefits to police officers by the Napolcom.

Casurao said they will exhaust all solutions to ensure the continuous grant of welfare benefits for the members of the PNP.         

“The National Police Commission (Napolcom) will exhaust all possible solutions to ensure the continuous grant of welfare benefits to the members of the Philippine National Police and their beneficiaries,” he said.

“We assure our police pensioners and PNP beneficiaries that the Napolcom will exhaust all possible options and legal means to ensure that the Commission can continuously grant well-deserved benefits for the welfare and interest of our police officers who risk and sacrifice their lives to protect the people and the country,” he said.

Casurao said the temporary suspension of the payment of PNP Welfare Benefits claims being administered by Napolcom while awaiting for the resolution of its reply and comment submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Audit (COA) last December.

For their part, PNP said they will continue to provide all benefits that were suspended from Napolcom.

“The PNP assures it will continue to provide all benefits due to surviving kin of deceased PNP personnel who died under line of duty circumstances despite the suspension of similar benefits administered by the National Police Commission,” Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson said in a statement.

“This suspension does not have any effect on the PNP Morale and Welfare Program,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS