Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 23) — President Rodrigo Duterte took up the cudgels for widows of policemen, saying the processing of benefits due them should be simplified.
“Ang practice kasi, ang mga biyuda pupunta pa dito sa Crame. I don’t know if it’s still the practice now, but if it is still the practice, I’m ordering you to cut it now,” he said during his address on Monday.
[Translation: The practice is the widows would need to go to Crame. I don’t know if it’s still the practice now, but if it is still the practice, I’m ordering you to cut it now.]
The President said widows from the provinces would need to spend more in processing the papers in Metro Manila, where they can only manage with the help of relatives.
Duterte said it should be the responsibility of the station commander to inform the main office about the departed service member so that the family would not be left vulnerable.
He added that processing of such documents should be done at the regional level.
“Maawa kayo sa mga biyuda [Have pity on the widows],” he said.
