House to probe PPSC over P124.5-M police, military supplies

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will look into a Commission on Audit (COA) report that the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) acquired P124.5 million worth of military and police supplies in 2013 without any public bidding.

The inquiry was prompted by House Resolution 1741 that Reps. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and Maximo Rodriguez of Abante Mindanao filed.

The lawmakers said the PPSC is supposed to be the premier institution for training, human resource development and continuing education of personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

The COA report said the acquisition of military and police supplies including bullets and totaling more than P124.5 million, was not included in the Annual Procurement Plan of the PPSC for 2013.

The resolution said the purchase was allegedly intended for the use of the different regional training schools and constitutive units of the PPSC.

“(The PPSC) had acted with urgency to accommodate police recruits sent by the PNP for mandatory training and that due to lack of preparation and storage facility for the supplies and ammunition, they resorted to procurement of quartermaster supplies and materials through shopping,” the resolution quoted the PPSC management as saying.

The lawmakers said the inquiry would serve notice to all concerned, particularly the PPSC, the COA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and other agencies and entities, to shed light and resolve the issue.