PNP reels from gun shortage

Saying that police field units are in dire need of high-powered guns for anti-crime operations, the Philippine National Police headquarters recalled yesterday all firearms earlier issued to police non-operating service units.

According to Deputy Director General Jewel Canson, PNP deputy chief for operations, among the guns now being recalled are M16 and M14 rifles which were previously issued to non-operating or administrative units based at Camp Crame.

Among such units are the Directorate for Police and Community Relations, the Public Information Office, the PNP Finance Service and the PNP Computer Service.

Canson said that the recalled guns would be re-issued to new recruits of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) who are assisting the military in conducting anti-insurgency operations particularly in Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon and Bicol.

Some of the guns will also be given to the various Regional Mobile Groups and provincial Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams.

Canson added that in order to boost the PNP's arsenal of high-powered guns, they have made arrangements with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to borrow 340 M16 and M14 rifles.

PNP spokesman Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said that the police arsenal has at present only a few high powered guns including a few M60, M50 machineguns and a few mortars.

"These weapons were issued to us when we were still part of the Armed Forces as the Philippine Constabulary. But when the PNP was established, most of our high-powered guns were returned to the AFP armory," Bartolome said.

Bartolome said that the gun shortage would not have been experienced by the PNP had Congress approved their budget proposal for equipment procurement this year.

He said that the PNP for this year asked Congress to allocate P1.7 billion for the purchase of the needed high-powered guns and other equipment for communications and transportation.

However, Congress only managed to release P5 million which could only buy 64 motorcycles.