The Philippine National Police (PNP) has poured P2 billion worth of new equipment, including helicopters, under its disposal in a bid to boost the operational efficiency of its various units, police stations and tactical teams.
The additional equipment were presented and blessed on Monday by officials led by PNP chief General Archie Gamboa and Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, officer in charge of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management, witnessing the event.
The equipment included two units of Airbus H125 helicopter; 37 units of medium troop carrier; 12 units of Toyota Hilux 4×4 Pick up; 25 units of 7.62-mm light machine gun; 7,700 units of Galil Ace 5.56-mm basic assault rifle; 2,037 units of Emtan 5.56-mm basic assault rifle and 25,000 pieces of 9-mm pistol of various make.
It also included a bomb suit; three units of explosives and ordnance- disposal robot; four units of forensic comparison microscope; 501 units of enhanced combat helmet (ECH) level III; 3,413 units of undershirt vest helmet; 225 units night-vision goggles; 19,861 units ballistic eyewear; 4,640 units of DMR handheld radio; 397 units of VHF low-band handheld radio; 200 units of HF/SBB manpack radio; three units signal jammer and 10 units tracking optics (fire control system).
Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Victor Ramos, PNP director for comptrollership and the chairman of the NHQ Bids and Awards Committee, said the newly procured equipment were sourced from the funds of the Capability Enhancement Program (CEP) for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, Congressional Initiative Allocation 2018 and 2019, General Appropriations Act 2017 and 2018 and Office of the President Contingency Fund.
A previously acquired ECH, according to Ramos, saved the life of police Patrolman Juvanie Tugahan Libradilla, a member of the 1st Bukidnon Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st BPMFC), when his patrol team was ambushed by suspected New People’s Army rebels while traveling on a convoy along Barangays Tikalaan and Dominorog in Talakag, Bukidnon, recently.
Libradilla, equipped with the ECH, was hit by a bullet in the head but only suffered minor injury.
“If not with the high-quality PNP equipment, it would have been a different story,” Ramos said.
Gamboa said the equipment are part of the continuing effort of the PNP leadership and the national government to enhance the police’s aerial assets, firepower, mobility and tactical capabilities.