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THE
National Police leadership said on Tuesday that it will
not acquire any substandard equipment for its members
that will endanger their lives on the field.
“We will
always get the best equipment for our men fighting in
the field,” said the National Police chief, Director
Gen. Avelino Razon Jr., as he reacted to what he called
a “systematic and well-organized” disinformation effort
that was spread through text messages and circulated
among media personnel and police officials.
Among
others, the text message claimed that there was anomaly
behind the National Police’s scheduled acquisition of
1,000 5.56mm M-4 submachineguns worth P95-million.
Razon appealed to the media to help the force identify
the personalities behind the “unfounded allegations.”
“The allegation is unfair, malicious and irresponsible
as it casts a bad image for the National Police, as well
as its leadership,” he said.
Razon
also challenged those who are behind the disinformation
campaign to be ready to substantiate their charges.
“The
procurement process is transparent and aboveboard. In
fact, it is still ongoing and we have not yet placed our
orders to the manufacturer,” he said.
“All procurements of the National Police are closely
monitored by an oversight committee of the National
Police Commission [Napolcom] to ensure transparency and
compliance with Republic Act [RA] 9184, or the
Government Procurement Reform Act,” he added.
He also
stressed that the approval of procurement contracts in
the force is not an individual decision exercised by any
official.
“It is
reached through a consensus among members of the Bids
and Awards Committee [BAC] chaired by the Deputy Chief
for Operations with members representing the Legal
Service, Directorate for Comptrollership, Directorate
for Logistics, Directorate for Research and Development
and Logistics Support Service.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Director Emmanuel Carta, the deputy
National Police chief for operations and BAC chairman,
said that the committee will continue to process the
procurement of 1,000 units of M-4 submachineguns for the
Special Action Force (SAF), the regional and provincial
mobile groups and selected special weapons and tactics
units.
Dispelling charges of anomaly, Carta clarified that it
was Napolcom that issued the specifications for the
5.56mm M-4 submachineguns sought to be procured.
He said the specifications were based on SAF
requirements to meet its demand for more effective
firepower and sustained accurate firing capability for
its weapons.
“Among
the Napolcom-approved specifications is the independent
sear-disconnector system in the weapon that will rapidly
reduce the cyclic rate for greater accuracy in sustained
firing conditions,” he said.
Carta
pointed out that among the proponents for the supply of
the M-4 submachineguns, only Ferfrans met the Napolcom
specification on the reduced cyclic rate.
Said
proponent has an independent sear-disconnector system
patented to its name.
“Under
Section 50 of RA 9184 and in accordance with existing
rules, the BAC will proceed with an alternative method
of procurement, which is direct contracting, since only
one proponent met the standard specification,” Carta
said.
Since 2000, similar M-4 submachineguns from Ferfrans had
been used by the SAF.
To date,
SAF has not encountered any major problem with the
weapon, police officials said. |
