PNP told: Explain speed gun mess

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo yesterday urged Philippine National Police (PNP) officials to submit their written explanation of their plan to procure costly traffic speed guns.

“They will have to submit a report on that officially to the President and the President will act accordingly,” Panelo said.

President Duterte stripped the PNP of its procurement powers on Monday, saying that intelligence officials discovered that the PNP is planning to buy speed guns that cost P950,000 each during a recent command conference.

He said the amount is “b*** s***” because the local government of Davao City bought the equipment for only P10,000 per unit.

Panelo said the President will have to review the explanation and then make a final decision on the PNP’s procurement powers.

“Hindi natin alam. Siyempre aantayin mo iyong report kung ano ba iyong, bakit nagkaganoon ang paliwanag mo noong una (We don’t know. Of course you will wait for the report, check the initial explanation). Always remember that this President is a lawyer and we lawyers are always trained to look deeper into any situation,” Panelo said.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday that there was only a glaring error in the presentation of the PNP equipment wish list to the President. He said the PNP mixed up terms and figures of the gadgets they intend to procure.

The police officials, he noted, told Duterte that they were planning to buy radar speed guns when what they really wanted to procure are micro digital and photo video laser tech systems.

The gadget, which is being used by advanced countries such as the US and Israel, can store up to 15,000 images and has an average price of P1 million.

Año believes it was an honest mistake and that police officials had no intention to fool the President.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, who was present during the command conference, said they already sent a formal communication explaining their side to the President.

He refused to go into details on the content of their explanation, saying they will abide by whatever the President decides.