"I wish you'll use your bonuses properly for your family and loved ones, and also in preparation for the upcoming holiday season."

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin on Sunday aired this advice to uniformed and non-uniformed PNP personnel as he announced that their Christmas bonus and cash gifts for the year are now ready for release.

Azurin said the bonuses would total P8.5 billion for the roughly 225,000-strong organization, funding for which came from the programmed budget of the police force for 2022.

The dole-outs are equivalent to one month in base pay as a year-end bonus and P5,000 as a cash gift set for release tomorrow, 15 November, through their LandBank ATM payroll accounts.

The PNP, however, reminded its personnel that bonuses exceeding P90,000, are taxable, pursuant to the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Law and Bureau of Internal Revenue Regulations 8-2018 and 11-2018.

All PNP personnel with salary grade 18 (Step 1) will be subjected to year-end tax adjustments, it added.

Likewise, affected PNP personnel who have reached the minimum net take-home pay are also advised to settle their unpaid loans for November and December 2022 to avoid incurring penalties.

The PNP said personnel may make

over-the-counter payments. The regular monthly withholding tax deduction will resume on the pay period of January 2023, it added.

Administratively charged PNP personnel found guilty by final and executory judgment are not entitled to receive the bonus and cash gift, the PNP stressed.