PNP gets P576 million in transport, communication assets

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has formalized its acquisition of additional units of sea and land mobile assets as well as communication equipment to its inventory to support police operations, it announced in a statement sent to media Wednesday.

Police Gen. Dionardo Carlos, PNP chief, led police leadership officials in the blessing and reception of the new equipment stocks worth more than P576 million at the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame that morning.

“We can only reciprocate our gratitude through better police service to the people,” Carlos said as he thanked the Duterte administration for what he said was its "responsiveness to the operational needs of the PNP to perform our law enforcement and public safety mission."

The PNP said that among the latest additions to the PNP fleet of seacrafts are ten police High-speed Tactical Watercraft powered by triple-250 horsepower engines.

The new seacraft will beef up the existing fleet of police gunboats currently in service with the PNP Maritime Group and Special Action Force for seaborne police operations and preventive patrol along the country’s 36,000-kilometer shoreline, and coastal borders.

The latest procurement package also includes 34 6-wheel utility trucks, 123 4x2 patrol vehicles, 170 low-band VHF tactical radio sets, and 1,628 handheld Digital Mobile Radio transceivers.

Carlos said the latest procurement program for the new equipment was administered by the PNP Bids and Awards Committee chaired by Police Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., director for comptrollership.

The procurement program was funded from the PNP Capability Enhancement Program for the years 2020 and 2021.

"These vehicles and communication equipment make up the backbone of police operations the field that are expected to further boost police patrol and visibility in land and sea environment to meet requirements for greater police presence in communities under heightened COVID Alert levels, and to support KASIMBAYANAN SAFE initiatives for the forthcoming 2022 National and Local Elections," Carlos said.

Especially with more communication equipment available, we can now swiftly provide immediate rapid reaction to calls for police assistance and emergency response."