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MILITARY. Soldiers from. the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine Army at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on October 21, 2017.
Rappler
President Marcos signs Executive Order 84 two days after the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and amid rumors of military unrest, which the Armed Forces of the Philippines has flatly denied
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has more than doubled the subsistence allowance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), increasing it to P350 from P150.
This increase will take effect retroactively on January 1, 2025, following Executive Order No. 84 signed by Marcos on March 14, Friday, and released to the public on Saturday, March 15.
The current subsistence allowance of the military is “no longer adequate to meet the daily sustenance of an active-duty soldier, which is essential for their well-being and performance of their duties,” EO 84 said.
“It is imperative to increase the subsistence allowance of all officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP, to protect and promote their welfare, in recognition of their sacrifices and perseverance, in defending and upholding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the order reads.
The last time AFP’s subsistence allowance was adjusted was in 2015, pursuant to Congress Joint Resolution No. 5 (s. 2015).
The increase will also cover trainees and probationary second lieutenants/ensigns undergoing training, Citizen Military Training cadets, and reservists.
Marcos signed EO 84 amid unverified social media posts that military personnel resigned over the Philippine government’s decision to arrest and send former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity for the killings in the war on drugs and by the Davao Death Squad.
In November 2024, Duerte had called for military and police intervention to “protect the Constitution” amid what he described as a “fractured” government. At the time, his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, was the subject of a congressional investigation into a corruption scandal. (READ: Fake receipts? Here’s a summary of House probe into Sara Duterte’s funds)
Back then, and again following the former president’s arrest and renewed rumors of military unrest, the AFP reiterated that it continues to be a “professional, unified, and non-partisan institution, committed to its constitutional mandate of defending the nation and the Filipino people.”
“Our personnel continue to remain focused on our sworn duty, upholding the rule of law and the chain of command,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on Thursday, March 13, two days after Duterte’s ICC arrest.
Meanwhile, former senator Ping Lacson, who is gunning for a return to the Senate under the administration coalition, urged uniformed personnel to “remain professional and loyal to their duty.” Lacson is a former Philippine National Police chief.
“In this day and age of information technology, fake news spreads fast. And we know that is in their training to conduct fact-checking first. If there are reports of partisan activity, they should not get involved,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview with radio DZRH on Saturday, March 15. – Rappler.com
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