NEW EQUIPMENT. PNP chief, Gen. Camilo Cascolan, takes a look at one of the new basic assault rifles that are among the PHP569 million worth of new equipment acquired by the police force, in Camp Crame on Monday (Oct. 26, 2020). The new equipment also includes police patrol vehicles, four-wheel-drive troop carriers, motorcycles, and handheld radio transceivers. (PNA photo by Lloyd Caliwan)
MANILA – The capability of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to respond quickly to crime incidents is expected to get a boost with its acquisition of PHP569 million worth of new equipment.
“We showcased earlier today the PHP569 million worth of enabling equipment to fill-up the requirements of PNP units for mobility, firepower, and communications, which are among the key priorities of our capacity-building, modernization, and development agenda,” said PNP chief, Gen. Camilo Cascolan, in a press conference in Camp Crame Monday.
He said the new equipment was procured by the PNP Bids and Awards Committee through the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) and was funded from the Capability Enhancement Programs (CEPs) for the year 2019 and 2020, Congressional Initiative Allocation (CIA) 2019, and the Reserve Agency Fund (RAF) 2018.
He said the procurement package consists of 92 units of single cab police patrol vehicles, six four-wheel drive troop carriers, 90 units of 1,000 cc motorcycles, 7,700 basic assault rifles, and 434 handheld radio transceivers.
In compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte's order to intensify the campaign against street crimes, Cascolan said they would organize motorized anti-street crime operating teams to go after motorcycle-riding suspects.
"The 90 units of 1,000c motorcycles will significantly enhance the PNP’s capability for high-speed tactical police response to street-crimes especially those perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects more notoriously known as riding in tandem," he said.
All 17 Police Regional Offices (PROs) in the country in coordination with the Highway Patrol Group were instructed to initiate the conduct of training on tactical motorcycle-riding.
Currently, skills development training on tactical motorcycle-riding for 178 police personnel is ongoing in PROs in Cordillera, Ilocos Region, Caraga, and the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF).
Meanwhile, Cascolan also bared that based on their data, a total of 1,324 incidents of street crimes attributed to 1,958 motorcycle-riding suspects were committed from January 1 until October 16, 2020.
The incidents include murder (424), homicide (24), physical injury (307), rape (32), robbery (306) car theft (100) and theft (131).
“Although 400 of these cases have been solved and 362 other cases were cleared with the arrest of 308 suspects and the death of 21 others, we are pursuing the arrest of 1,629 suspects who remain at-large and presumed to be still actively engaged in criminal activities,” said Cascolan. (PNA)
