PNP boasts P1.6B worth of new equipment

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has purchased P1.618 billion worth of new equipment including patrol jeeps, light transport vehicles, vans, long firearms, and even dogs.

The more than 11,000 news items were presented before the media on Thursday in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Deputy Director General Archie Francisco Gamboa, chairman of the National Headquarters Bids and Awards Committee, led the presentation of the 11,979 units of new equipment amounting to P1.618 billion to PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.

The breakdown for the equipment is as follows:

• 387 patrol jeep (4x2) single cabs;
• 176 unmarked light transport vehicles;
• 59 marked light transport vehicles;
• 41 brand new vans;
• 138 rubber boats;
• 313 basic assault rifles;
• 320 units of 5.56 mm light machine gun;
• 231 units of 7.62 mm light machine gun;
• 160 units of base radio;
• 6,440 undershirt vests;
• 3,666 units of 5.56 mm NATO magazine; and
• 48 explosive detection dogs

Ongoing: Presentation and blessing of newly procured PNP equipment worth P1.6 billion. | via @marllybondoc pic.twitter.com/7MhCcmgeu2

— GMA News (@gmanews) June 21, 2018

The marked light transport vehicles, undershirt vests, and patrol jeeps will be issued to municipal police stations to "enhance operational readiness and personal protection during police operations in the campaign against terrorism, illegal drugs, and criminality," said Director Jose Ma. Victor Ramos of the PNP Directorate for Logistics.

For the capability enhancement on internal security operations' equipage, the mobile forces as well as the Special Action Force (SAF) in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur will receive the basic assault rifles, light machine guns, magazines and the base radios.

The inflatable rubber boats for the conduct of sea borne police operations will be issued to the Maritime Group, Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and SAF.

The EOD K9 Unit, meanwhile, will be issued with additional explosive detector dogs to enhance its capability for explosive ordinance operations.

Unmarked light transport vehicles will be used by various PNP administrative, intelligence and investigative units to improve administration and control of the police units and to improve intelligence and investigation operations.

The said procurement which is under the PNP Capability Enhancement Program, is in line with the 10-year PNP Modernization plan.

In 2017, the PNP received a total of P8.4 billion for capital outlay, P7.3 billion for this year and P5.4 billion for 2019. Gamboa said that this total to around P21 billion which is far from their usual P2 billion capital outlay per year.

"So kung makita niyo, this administration has actually tripled the funds for capital outlay for the Philippine National Police, so we should be very thankful," Gamboa said.

"That's why dapat gamitin nating maayos ang equipment dahil mahirap mag-procure. Kakainin namin 'yung kaso sa Ombudsman pag nasa National Headquarters Bids and Awards Committee ka," Gamboa said.

Gamboa also announced that the PNP was able to attain 98.81 percent absorptive capacity, which he said is the "capacity of an entity to obligate and use the funds in the procurement of these various police equipment." —KBK, GMA News