CONGRESS really will play a major role in ensuring that the Philippine National Police will be truly world-class in solving crimes and fighting corruption at the same time under the young Bongbong Marcos administration. To do this, our cops must be fully-equipped to carry out their law enforcement functions to keep the streets safe while majority of Filipinos are soundly asleep in the confines of their homes.

This is what Speaker Martin Romualdez has in mind as he committed the solid support of the House of Representatives for an intensified anti-criminality campaign by the police force during a closed-door meeting with DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and PNP chief, General Jun Azurin on Monday afternoon.

What should be lauded during their meeting is that Speaker Romualdez and other Congress leaders have expressed their openness to provide the force with adequate funding support and other resources as well as new legislations if necessary to buttress the war against crime.

Gen. Azurin on Monday said their meeting with Speaker Romualdez is ‘very timely’ as it will give him the opportunity to brief the latter of the progress on their ongoing investigation into high-profile crimes in the country amid the continuing marked reduction on major crimes since last year.

At the same time, he said it will also be another opportunity for the PNP leadership to let Congress know what the police force needs to better address criminality specifically when it comes to further improving their ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate capabilities amid their ongoing internal cleansing program.

The PNP has sought the help of the House of Representatives and the Senate in approving the Revitalization and Capability Enhancement of the PNP Modernization Bill this year.

The measure aims to further modernize the ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate’ capabilities of the 227,000-strong force by first filling-up its basic equipage and constructing standard police stations and offices nationwide during the PBBM administration.

Gen. Azurin Jr. said earlier said they pushing for the ‘revitalization and capability enhancement of the PNP’ thru the acquisition and upgrading of their basic equipment, re-fleeting, modern equipage as well as infrastructure and facilities development.

The program would cost the government P128 billion in the next 10-years but would mean a 100 percent fill-up of basic PNP equipment and infrastructures, I have been told.

The top cop described as ‘isolated but unfortunate incidents’ the recent gun attacks that victimized three public officials but said they are working double time to solve these cases.

Speaking of the ongoing PNP modernization plan, Gen. Azurin on Monday unveiled over

P1.239 billion worth of brand-new police weapons and other equipment amid their ongoing effort to further improve the force’s ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate’ capabilities.

The weapons and vehicles with a total contract price of P1,239,586,796.00 were sourced under the PNP Capability Enhancement Programs or CEPs 2020, 2021 and 2022, said PNP Director for Logistics, Major Gen. Ronnie Olay, also the head of the PNP National Headquarters Bids and Awards Committee.

The equipment include 200 units of 4×2 patrol jeeps from Toyota Otis, Inc. and 326 units of 150cc light motorcycles which will be distributed to the different municipal police stations; 2 High-Speed Tactical Watercrafts which will be used by the PNP Maritime Group; and 10 brand-new utility trucks which will be used by the PNP Logistics Support Service.

Also procured by the PNP for use of its stations and other units nationwide were 4,033 units of caliber 5.56mm Galil Basis Assault Rifle; 9,544 units of cal. 9mm Striker-Fired ‘Taurus’ semi-automatic pistols; 5,458 units of Digital Hand-held Radios; and 221 units of VHF Lowband Hand-Held Radios.

These equipment will further bolster the PNP’s anti-crime patrol apart from responding to other emergencies such as search-and-rescue operations like the ongoing search for the pilots and passengers of two Cessna planes which crashed in Isabela and Albay province.

Maj. Gen. Olay and PNP Director for Comptrollership, Maj. Gen. Jess Cambay Jr. were lauded by Gen. Azurin for ensuring the graft-free procurement program of the national police force. He also called on the new equipment’s end-users to take care of them like they take care of their personal properties to ensure their long life.

The Revitalization and Capability Enhancement of the PNP Modernization Bill, I learned will remain as one of the top legislative measures being pushed by the PNP leadership for approval by the 19th Congress this year.

Proposed by the PNP-DL, the measure aims to further modernize the ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate’ capabilities of the 227,000-strong force by first filling-up its basic equipage and constructing standard police stations and offices nationwide during the PBBM administration.

Second, it aims to acquire modern equipage for the police; next is to adopt a secured, modern artificial intelligence or AI-driven, real-time information and communications technology (ICT) systems to modernize and integrate police administration and operations.

It is also aimed at strengthening police coordination and cooperation with the citizenry, local governments, public safety agencies, other law enforcement agencies and pillars of the criminal justice system, and the regional and international police communities.

Lastly, the proposed measure will give the PNP chief the power to directly negotiate with an agency/instrumentality of another country with which the Philippines has entered into a defense cooperation agreement, or mutual logistics support and services and law enforcement and security cooperation agreement, when the procurement involves modern equipage for enhanced PNP capabilities, subject to certain conditions.

With the help of Congress, expect the PNP to realize its effort to ‘revitalize and enhance the force’ thru the acquisition and upgrading of their basic equipment, re-fleeting, modern equipage as well as infrastructure and facilities development.

The program would cost the government P128 billion in the next 10-years but would mean a 100 percent fill-up of basic PNP equipment and infrastructures. As proposed by the PNP, the PNP chief shall prepare a Modernization and Capability Enhancement Program in consultation with the chairman of the National Police Commission and the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management and submit it to the Napolcom which shall endorse the same to Congress.