Soldiers’ salaries to double by 2018

By ANJANETTE VILLAMOR
Correspondent

ARMED Forces chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año assured that the government would double the salaries of soldiers next year.

A new soldier presently receives a monthly salary of P14 thousand but by January next year, this would be increased to P28 thousand, said Año.

Año made the announcement when he visited 41 wounded soldiers at Camp Evangelista late last week.

He said the salary increases have already been incorporated in the 2018 budget  for the military.

Año also promised the soldiers increased benefits, including housing, especially those who have been fighting members of the Isis-inspired Maute Group in Marawi city.

He said the government is also planning to give maimed soldiers prosthetic body parts so they could continue working, and in recognition of their heroism.

Meanwhile, Año said the government expects to put an end to the Marawi crisis anytime soon with “less than 10 square meters left for the terrorists as their battle area.”

He said that after the three months the “war on terrorism,” the Maute Group has lost key and vital installations that they controlled at the start of the fightings.

“We are pushing them to the lake area in  Pagadian,” he said.

But he said soldiers were still careful because there is still resistance in Marawi, and because the Maute Group’s snipers are still operating.

Año said the Maute Group is still holding at least 40 more hostages who were made to wear uniforms and turned into fighters.

“Whenever we see someone armed, we don’t shoot immediately. We first announce through the public address system that if they are being forced to fight,  then they should lay down their weapons, just wear their underwear and cross over to the military position,” Año said.