AMID the ongoing training of members of the National Capital Region Police Office on the use of Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) they have procured, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Debold M. Sinas has assured the public to expect more ‘top-of-the-line’ equipment to boost the ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate’ capabilities of the police force to serve the citizenry under the new normal.
The top cop said they also have an honest-to-goodness transparent procurement program wherein the best they their money can buy are being prioritized while millions of pesos being saved as a result of quality equipment being offered to them by the lowest bidders are being procured by the PNP Directorate for Logistics.
Select personnel of the NCRPO headed by Major Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr. are already undergoing special training on the use of BWCs procured by the PNP as part of their effort to further improve their anti-criminality operations and record actions being taken by the police and the response from the public.
PNP Director for Logistics, Major General Angelito A. Casimiro said the BWCs will further improve the operational capability of the NCRPO in keeping peace and order in Metro Manila.
The PNP logistics chief explained that these pieces of equipment are expected to improve evidence collection and preservation and at the same time record the legitimacy of police-citizen encounters.
The training conducted by EVI Distribution Inc. is a great milestone for the organization’s crime prevention method when it comes to transparency and accountability, he added.
The participants are being trained on how to record videos and audios, how to make photos, how to live stream, play back and basic maintenance. Apart from that, they are also being given lectures on how to charge their BWCs as well as save and check files on docking station.
The PNP leadership headed by Sinas said the newly-procured BWCs can be considered as one of the vital reforms and leaps in the PNP particularly in the aspect of operations and logistics services.
The NCRPO, as the pioneer of this advancement will be issued 648 of the 2,696 cameras procured by the PNP and will have a total of 70 docking stations out of the PNP’s entire 198 stations.
Casimiro told the BWC end-users to maintain the items with utmost care and diligence just like what they are doing with their mobile phones and other gadgets.
“I enjoin all the participants to actively participate in this training and apply all your learnings for effective and efficient usage of our body-worn cameras during all your operations and encounters,” he said.
Casimiro said that since the start of the pandemic in March last year, they have been seeing to it that they have a full stock of Personnel Protective Equipment including alcohol, face masks, face shields, gloves, thermal scan that can be issued to their men in the field.
The PNP-DLG has also procured shoe covers, rubberized glove, goggles, N95 masks, disposable surgical/OR gowns, head covers or hairnets and ‘cover-all protective suits for use of their hospital front-liners.
On the other hand, flashlights, biodegradable garbage bags, pressurized power sprayers, tents and cleaning agents or disinfectants are also on the shopping list of the PNP-DLG for use of their men who are manning Quarantine Control Points in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
Casimiro said more police vehicles, weapons, ammunition and even Body-Worn Cameras are being procured by the PNP to further improve its capability to keep peace and order and address all threats posed by criminals, terrorists and other lawless elements in the country.
The official said they have already procured 1.5 million rounds of 5.56 SS109 linked ammunition and one million rounds of 7.62mm SS109 ammunition for their automatic weapons issued to the PNP Special Action Force and the different Regional and Provincial Mobile Battalions.
Casimiro said they procured 2,693 units of BWC system for P288,888,888, getting a total savings of P45,111,006.19 which will be used by the PNP in procuring other equipment.
Thru their Congressional Initiative Allocation fund in 2018, the official said they managed to procure One Lot of Rapid Deployment CCTV System and one lot of CCTV System.
The 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA) fund given to the PNP allowed it to procure one lot of BWC system and one lot of various infrastructure projects for the Davao Occidental Police Provincial Office.
Casimiro said that for their Capability Enhancement Program 2019, a total of 27 items were procured, 26 items of which were already delivered and another still for delivery.
He said that for Balances of CEP 2019, another eight items were procured with a total Approved Budget for the Contract of ABC of P906,048,158.
Of these, two items were delivered, three items are for delivery, one item contract was terminated and two items were reverted and re-aligned to COVID-19 funds (1,254 units of Combat Helmet Level III-A and 2,208 units of Enhanced Combat Helmet Level III).
Casimiro said additional items were also procured from their CIA intended for the Misamis Occidental PPO in Northern Mindanao. So far, 12 units of 4X4 pick-ups, five units of LTV and 10 units of 4X2 patrol jeeps have been delivered by the supplier, he explained.
For their CEP 2020, Casimiro said that 15 items were procured of which seven items were delivered, five items still for delivery; two items for issuance of Notice to Proceed pertaining to the G2G or Government-to-Government procurement of 13,457 units of 5.56mm Basic Assault Rifles and 20 units of 7.62mm Light Machine Guns. The G2G involves the Philippine and Israeli governments.
Casimiro said that for their CEP 2021, four items are already for issuance of the Notice of Award, two items are ‘failure of bidding’ for the procurement of 16 units of brand-new vans and 41 ambulances/advance life support ambulances; four items for schedule of pre-procurement; three items undergoing a final review; and three items delegated to the PNP Health Service and another item delegated to the PNP Logistics Support Service.
Under the PNP CEP 2021, police will be getting 411 more 4X2 Toyota patrol vehicles, 13 Hino shuttle bus, 90 4X4 personnel carriers, 16 brand-new marked vans, 10 brand-new utility trucks and 41 ambulances/advance life support ambulances, all worth P818,175766.00.
Casimiro said they have a balance of P2,964.962 in their CEP 2021 which will be used in making additional purchases.
Also set to be procured by the PNP this year are 5,000 units of 9mm striker-fired pistols, 10,000 units of 5.56mm Basic Assault Rifles, 170 VHF Low Band Hand-held Radios, 1,628 units of digital hand-held radios, 5,298 units of Undershirt Vest Level III-A and 182 units of monocular Night Vision equipment.
