To uniformed personnel: Be frugal with public funds

The print media carried news on June 14 that President Duterte has signed Joint Resolution No. 1, which provides for a substantial increase in the pension of some 220,000 retirees. The active members of the MUPs (military and uniformed personnel), sooner or later, will also benefit from this resolution.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson extended a lifetime thank you to the President on our behalf. Yours truly, having been a senior officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, wishes to say the same, but our best way to thank the President is for us to urge those in the active service to be true to their oath of office and utilize their budgets frugally and judiciously.

This reminds me of the time when our big brother, Fidel V. Ramos, led the AFP. We would go out and jog, which was often, and had only two pieces of pandesal, a boiled egg and coffee for breakfast.

On his visits to military units around the country, meals were ordinary. If the AFP sponsored a golf game, which he did during meetings with foreign military guests, he did not want golf balls to be given free. Frugality was his virtue, which the current President desires from among all government personnel.

Today, the President is sad because of the rampant corruption in his administration and the misuse of public funds. It is best, therefore, to express our gratitude to the President by urging all MUPs to be honest in their jobs, frugal in spending public funds and being true to their oath of office.

LT. GEN. ANTONIO E. SOTELO (RET.)

Muntinlupa City