“The Angara bill actually seeks to demote our nurses, who, based on existing law, are already entitled to a starting monthly salary of P22,000,” said TUCP president and former Sen. Ernesto Herrera in a statement.
“If Congressman (Sonny) Angara wishes to follow the footsteps of his father and become senator someday, he should promptly withdraw his bill, which degrades our nurses,” said Herrera, former chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development.
“There is no way he can get the votes of our three million registered nurses and nursing graduates, if he insists on his bill,” Herrera added.
Angara, a member of the House panel prosecuting the impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona, is the son of Sen. Edgardo Angara, whose two consecutive terms in the Senate expires next year.
Herrera pointed out that under the Nursing Law of 2002, or Republic Act 9173, the floor pay of public nurses is already pegged at Salary Grade 15, which he said corresponds to a monthly rate of at least P22,688.
“The only reason the higher pay rate is not being enforced by public hospitals is because government claims it does not have the wherewithal,” he said.
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