1. Under payment
2. Mistreated/misused
3. Messing/food
4. Accommodation
Under payment
We as soldiers are not paid as people would think we are. A junior soldier who is a private is still getting less than three thousand (P3,000) and a commuted subsistence allowance of P970.60, which is half of the normal one. Take for example a police constable is getting well over P4,800 plus police allowance and overtime allowance both 15percent of their basic salaries. When promoted from the rank of private to lance-corporal the increment will only be P10. There are two categories of soldiers in the BDF, the officers and other rank or (non-commissioned officers). Officers are the ones that are well-paid. We the other ranks are only paid peanuts forgetting that we are the work-force and the back-bone of the army. I wonder why the pay structures are parallel since there are two categories of soldiers within this army? We are the ones that do any dirty duty that may arise. Our former commander Lt. General Fisher, once assured us that he had finalized with the Defense Council and that we are going to be paid but he even retired from the army without the money he promised. The current commander Lt. General Masire also met the soldiers and assured them that he will be coming back to them in two weeks' time to tell them the good news, but days turned into weeks, weeks into months without hearing from him yet his promises are not materialising.
