Officials defend cash incentives to AFP units for victories vs NPA

MANILA, Philippines - The practice of giving cash incentives to military units that are able to dismantle guerilla fronts of the communist New People's Army (NPA) will likely continue during newly-installed Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, with the Defense giving its nod on the policy. In an interview, Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr said he will not put a halt on the practice, saying it is one of the tools used by the military to motivate soldiers to reach the government's anti-insurgency targets by 2010. Teodoro also noted that such cash incentives are not personal rewards given to soldiers but are instead awarded to military units which it could use to pursue further operations. “I will not discourage motivational techniques and tools in the hierarchy. This is not a personal reward. It is a unit incentive, to use these resources for further operations, that’s how I understand it," Teodoro said. Yano has confirmed that the military began giving the cash rewards to the units amounting to P300,000 for every guerilla front dismantled during the time of his predecessor, now retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. In the interview, Teodoro sought to downplay fears that the move may turn the soldiers and the units as if they are bounty hunters. “Only those with malicious minds will equate this reward with bounty hunting," he said. Teodoro said the strategy was devised by the military, using their own operational funds. “That doesn’t reach my level anymore… That’s a GHQ (General Headquarters) policy, I believe an Army policy… My understanding is that this is for the use to sustain the accomplishments," he said. Esperon earlier said the AFP came up with the program during his term to “encourage the soldiers" to work, noting that the military has a deadline set by President Gloria Arroyo to end the insurgency problem on or before her term ends in 2010. “We’ve been implementing that long ago. We have rules on that. Those are follow on operational funds, follow through operational funds and direct support fund, meaning if you engage (the enemy) we will support, if you fix them, we will give you follow through funds," Esperon said. “It (funds) depends on the activity, it can go as high as P300,000 per guerilla front but its not meant to go to individuals…We have timelines so that’s okay, so its unit operational funds…That’s included in the AFP budget," he added. Newly-installed Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado also defended the program, stressing that there are guidelines set that these follow on funds should be used in operations and that these are accounted. “This is not a cash incentive for the individuals, it is the unit (that receives it). These are additional funds which you can use to further improve your operations. This is being given to add impetus to the operations, to improve the operations," he said. “As I said, this is not for the soldiers. This is for the unit so this is not a bounty for soldiers," added Ibrado, who assumed as Army chief last Wednesday, replacing Yano who had taken over as the new AFP chief last Monday. - GMANews.TV