P1.75 B released to PNP for new equipment

MANILA, Philippines - A new phase in the five-year modernization program for the Philippine National Police (PNP) has begun with the release of more than P1.75 billion for the acquisition of new weapons, communications equipment, and vehicles for the police force.

In a statement, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the release of the funds was meant to “support the efforts of the Aquino administration to enhance the capability of the police force to effectively fight criminality and maintain peace and order throughout the country.” The five-year modernization program is scheduled for completion next year.

“The fund will be used to purchase equipment for our policemen, including the procurement of around 11,000 units of brand new guns to fill up firearms insufficiency in the PNP, 750 units of digital base, mobile and handheld radio to provide a faster means of communication, as well as police vehicle units,” he said.

“Considering the recent investigation on anomalies in the purchase of helicopters by the PNP during the past administration, we have exercised caution in determining the amount of funds released for the PNP’s modernization program,” he added.

“Furthermore, as we strengthen the PNP’s capability, we want to make sure there is accountability in the use of modernization funds,” he said.

The P1.75 billion was charged against the PNP’s budget for Capability Enhancement Program of P2 billion.

The new equipment to be purchased are intended to enhance the PNP’s intelligence and investigative activities, as well as its capability to manage civil disturbance. They are also expected to improve PNP’s information and communications technology and data management.

                                                                  – With Iris Gonzales

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said a special unit in the PNP has been formed to deal with crisis situations like the bloody Quirino Grandstand hostage taking last year.

In a statement, Ochoa said the creation of the Crisis Action Force (CAF) was part of the recommendations of the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC), which looked into the bungled police operation to rescue a busload of Hong Kong tourists held hostage by a deranged former police officer. Eight of the tourists were killed during the rescue operation.

“We have undertaken reforms that focus on improving the capability of the PNP to respond to crisis situations. We recently activated the CAF, whose personnel are all graduates of specialized training courses,” he said.

He added that close to P170 million has been set aside “to provide the special police unit with new weapons, equipment and vehicles to help it deal with similar situations in the future.”

He also said members of the PNP’s Special Weapons and Tactics as well as hostage negotiators have been made to undergo additional training courses as part of the program to enhance the police force’s crisis response.

The PNP has also produced three handbooks on hostage crisis management – the Hostage Negotiation Handbook, PNP Critical Incident Management Action Flow Chart and Checklist Handbook, and PNP-National Operations Center Incident Management and Monitoring Handbook.

Other recommendations of the IIRC that are being addressed are the imposition of penalties and the filing of appropriate charges against officials found liable for mishandling the hostage-taking incident.

Ochoa said the Office of the President had already referred the cases of these officials to appropriate agencies like the National Police Commission and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. – With Iris Gonzales