The Employees’ Compensation Commission issued a board resolution providing additional protection to the soldiers and policemen under the Employees’ Compensation Program.
Labor and Employment Secretary and Chair of the ECC, Rosalinda Dimaplis-Baldoz stated that soldiers and policemen confront not only vigorous but also dangerous duties in keeping the peace, protecting the people and property and enforcing the law.
“We recognize the risk of the nature of work of our men in uniform, hence, it is but proper to compensate them in case of death or injury when they are responding to a crime situation albeit they are not in their assigned post,” she explained.
ECC Executive Secretary Stella Zipagan-Banawis stressed that uniformed personnel are not only tasked to keep the peace and order, they are also required to render assistance in times of calamities. She cited that the Supreme Court, in one of the cases related to ECC, held that soldiers and policemen are technically on duty 24 hours a day by the nature of their functions. They may be asked by their superior officers or by any distressed citizen to assist in maintaining the peace and security of the community.
“They are true public servants that deserve to be compensated in case of injuries or death while performing their duty even though they are on leave or off duty” expressed Banawis.