MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government has taken concrete steps to increase police visibility and mobility and enhance their crime-fighting ability in line with the PNoy Administrationâs war against criminality.
Roxas said this even as he revealed that the first shipment of the 65,000 brand-new Glock pistols ordered by the Philippine National Police will arrive next week.
Procured by the government at half the original cost, they will be distributed nationwide to some 60,000 policemen who donât even have guns, he said.
âNakakalungkot malaman na sa PNP, higit sa sixty thousand ng ating mga pulis ay walang baril. Paano sila magiging deterrent sa crime? Paano sila kakatakutan ng mga masasamang loob kung pito lang ang kanilang sandata?â Roxas said.
He said the government will procure 2,500 police vehicles and 40,000 radios to be distributed nationwide so that regional, provincial, city and municipal offices will be more mobile and coordinated in running after criminals.
âSa madaling salita, ibinibigay natin ang sapat na mga kasangkapan sa kapulisan nang sa ganoon ay matugunan nila at magampanan ang kanilang tungkulin,â Roxas explained.
Last week, in a briefing for senior executives of car manufacturers and dealers, Roxas assured an âopen, transparent and fair biddingâ on the procurement of 2,500 units of patrol vehicles worth P2.08 billion.
The patrol vehicles would be a âsingle cab pickup with a carrier at the back,â he said.â We want the best price, we want the best value.â
Roxas said the bidding will be a âtwo-envelopeâ process involving technical and financial evaluation. Only those who pass the technical evaluation would be qualified to enter the financial evaluation phase.
âHindi natin papayagan na ang âtuwid na daanâ ni Presidente PNoy ay mababahiran. Inaasahan natin na ang bukas at malinis na prosesong ito ay mag-aambag sa ating isinusulong na kultura ng dangal sa hanay ng kapulisan,â Roxas said.
Roxas reiterated his assurance that funds are available for the entire procurement because âwe are buying 2,500 units, bulto at hindi sachet-style ang procurement.â
Meanwhile, the DILG chief revealed that a program is being advanced to hire civilian employees to do the administrative work of policemen.
âKinakailangan ito upang ang mga pulis na nasa opisina lamang ay maibalik sa frontline,â he said.
Roxas said that an additional 15,000 policemen will man the frontlines not only in Metro Manila but throughout the country âpara yung presensiya, yung deterrent presence ng ating kapulisan ay maramdaman naman at yung mga masasamang loob na ito ay matakot o di kaya magdalawang isip bago nila gawin kung anuman ang binabalak nilang masamang gawain.â (DILG)