Palace: MUP pay hike not linked to destabilization plot

Malacañang defended on Friday the base pay adjustment for military and uniformed personnel (MUP) and President Marcos' visits and meetings with the military, saying these were meant to check the troops' welfare and not related to supposed destabilization plots.

- By HELEN FLORES

At a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos' decision to enhance the benefits of the military is rooted in respect for the men and women who risk their lives daily to uphold peace and security across the country.

Not a bribe

The Department of National Defense (DND) also dismissed insinuations yesterday that President Marcos' directive to increase the salaries of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel was a bribe.

DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said soldiers, considering the increasingly hazardous job they perform, deserves the base pay hike.

"If they deserve better support and help, we must also provide it because their sacrifice for the nation, their lives are at stake," Castro said, stressing that the President's decision was guided by policy considerations rather than political pressure.

Castro noted that the President's visits to military camps and regular engagements with troops demonstrate his commitment to ensuring the welfare, morale and readiness of the Armed Forces.

"As long as the President has time, this should not be questioned. Visiting our soldiers, uniformed personnel is only appropriate as commander-in-chief. So, it has