PNP gets P7.5 B for anti-crime equipment

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) got a funding boost of at least P7.5 billion from the Senate for the acquisition of brand new helicopters, vehicles and anti-crime equipment.

The augmentation came following the move of Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto, whose proposal for an additional P5-billion allocation for the PNP next year was approved in plenary during deliberations on the proposed P3.3-trillion national budget last week.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson added another P2.5 billion he took from the Department of Public Works and Highways and transferred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the purchase of two eight-seater helicopters to enhance the PNP’s anti-crime and anti-drugs campaign.

Recto said the additional funds would allow the PNP to meet its guarantee of “a 15-minute maximum response time to all distress calls in urban areas.”

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate finance committee, said the PNP may procure new helicopters under the separate P2-billion Capability Enhancement Program following urgent appeals from Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito for the acquisition of choppers.

“It is truly lamentable that the PNP does not have a single flying aircraft or brand new helicopters that are urgently needed to fight crime,” Ejercito said. 

The P5-billion additional fund for PNP logistical modernization will be lodged in the P67.5 billion Unprogrammed Fund in the proposed national budget.

Recto said the Senate moved to hike the PNP’s capital outlays (CO) after noticing that it would be cut from P3.82 billion this year to P3.37 billion next year, or by P500 million, “which could slow down its momentum in battling crime.”

Several documents submitted to the Senate tell of an across-the-board shortage in equipment in the PNP, “in all aspects of police work, from shoot-move-communicate to offices and data bases.”

One report shows the PNP is lacking 168,851 long firearms and half of its 6,169-vehicle fleet need to be replaced or are near decommissioning.

But in a recent testimony before the Senate, PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa, upon questioning by Recto, gave a higher estimate of equipment lack – “18,000 short firearms, 10,000 long firearms and 16,356 vehicles.”

The PNP is also short of boats, “with 900 urgently needed, or one per coastal town, so that the maritime police can run after illegal fishers, polluters and sea-borne criminals,” Recto said. 

The senator said another area requiring huge investment was communication, especially the nationwide 911 network. 

He said the augmentation would allow the PNP to construct 80 police stations at a total cost of P425 million and 47 provincial offices costing P493 million.

Under its proposal, the PNP plans to buy 256 motorcycles, 132 personnel carriers, 136 light transport vehicles, 229 patrol boats, 283 satellite phones and P2 billion worth of anti-terrorism equipment.

The PNP also said it would need P45 million for the titling of donated lots.

Recto explained the P5 billion was put in the Unprogrammed Fund in order not to trigger cuts in the budgets of other agencies.