THE Philippine National Police’s Capability Enhancement Program increased by 118 percent over the past six years of the Duterte presidency compared to the previous Aquino administration and officials have expressed high hopes that under the new Marcos government, the police would be able to further boost its ‘move, shoot, communicate and investigate’ capabilities.

Officials were banking on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to further modernize the military and the police force thru the acquisition of more state-of-the-art equipment and ensure the welfare of security troops as what his predecessor, now Citizen Rodrigo Duterte did from 2016 to this year.

The Journal Group learned that the CEP funds allocated to the PNP increased by 118 percent from P10,702,800,653.68 for Fiscal Years 2010-2015 to P23,341,525,906.13 for FY 2016 to FY 2022.

The increased budget enabled the police force to acquire and upgrade its mobility, communication and investigative equipment and more importantly, its firepower needed to address threats posed by criminals, insurgents, terrorists and other lawless elements in the country.

It also enabled the PNP to continue its infrastructure and facilities development including the construction of modern police stations on PNP-owned, administered, donated or occupied lands.

PNP Officer-in-Charge, Lieutenant General Vicente D. Dadnao Jr. said the sets of equipment purchased thru their CEP are ‘critical assets that boosted the operational and administrative readiness of all police units nationwide, all geared towards the realization of the PNP vision of becoming a highly-capable, effective and credible police force.’

The PNP-OIC explained that the operational readiness and mission capability of the police force rest on an effective logistics fill-up program which is reflective of the actual needs of the PNP down to the lower units in terms of mobility, firepower, communications and other operational essential equipment the remains to be their top priority for acquisition.

When it comes to mobility equipment, the PNP’s mobility assets significantly increased from 18,191 mobility units in 2016 to 22,508 units as of the 1st quarter of 2022, or a total of 4,317 units more or a 23.73 percent increase in PNP land, water and air assets.

Records showed that the PNP got a total of P7.583 billion to procure mobility equipment form 2016-2022.

On the other hand, it got P7.182 billion during the same period to procure additional long and short firearms. During the six-year period, the PNP boasted a 96.28 percent increase in its firepower capability as it procured 205,975 guns of various types.

The PNP also procured P3.007 billion worth of communication equipment during the past six years or an additional 24,636 units of two-way radios and other communication tools or an increase of 7.278 percent.

To provide active support to the government’s anti-insurgency program, the force also purchased a total of P3.797 billion worth of ISO equipment. From only 20,300 units in 2016, the PNP now has 121,517 ISO units or a 498.61 percent increase.

Lastly, it was also able to procure P694.76 million worth of investigative equipment during the period or a total of 5,255 equipment in 2022 from only 4,169 in 2016 or a 26.05 percent increase.

The police weapons and other tools were acquired as the PNP continued its modernization program to make it at par with modern police forces in Asia and other parts of the world.

Records from the PNP Directorate for Logistics headed by Major General Ronaldo E. Olay showed the following PNP acquisitions thru its CEP since 2016:

In 2016, the force was able to procure P2,072,824,000 worth of Mobility, Firepower, Communication, Internal Security Operations/Anti-Terrorism, Civil Disturbance Management and investigation equipment.

In 2017, it received a total of P6,787,910.980 billion to procure additional equipment followed by another P7,136,300.700 CEP in 2018; a 2019 CEP worth P5,472,889.000; a CEP 2020 worth P3,277,055.000; a CEP 2021 worth P2,035,300,000; and a CEP 2022 worth P2 billion.

Acquired by the police force in 2016 were 38 land vehicles, 10,000 short firearms, 209 communication equipment, 16,063 ISO equipment and 1,791 investigative equipment.

In 2017, its CEP budget allowed it to procure 190 vehicles, 10,000 pistols and 97 long firearms, 6,584 communication equipment, 12,751 ISO equipment and 1 investigative equipment.

In 2018, the PNP’s CEP budget allowed it to purchase 776 motor vehicles, 28 watercrafts, 17,493 long firearms and 10,000 short firearms, 470 communication equipment and 25,073 ISO equipment.

Thru the government’s Bangon Marawi program, the PNP also acquired 30 more land vehicles, 376 automatic rifles, 133 communication equipment and 122 ISO equipment.

Its 2019-2022 CEPs likewise allowed the force to acquire 860 mobile equipment in 2019; 518 in 2020;

637 in 2021; and 993 in 2002; 836 land vehicles in 2019; 506 in 2020; 637 in 2021; and 993 in 2022;

22 watercrafts in 2019; and 12 in 2020; 3 aircrafts in 2019; 10,533 long firearms and 18,002 short firearms in 2019; 4,088 additional guns in 2020; 4,270 other weapons in 2021 and 9,544 more firearms in 2022; as well as 21,964 more ISO equipment in 2019; 4,320 similar equipment in 2020; 5,399 in 2021; and 2,880 in 2022.

Danao last month said their newly-procured ‘move and shoot’ equipment worth over P765 million will further help them respond to the major challenges brought about by criminals and terrorists in the country amid the new normal.

Olay said their latest equipment include 16 units of brand-new marked vans to be used by PNP national support units; three units of Light Transport; 8,358 units of Turkish-made caliber 9mm Striker Fired Pistols to be used by PNP Academy graduates and new PNP recruits,

8,500 units of cal. 5.56mm Basic Assault Galil Rifles procured under a Philippine-Israel government-to-government procurement ; 620 units of Autogated Night Vision Devices; 34 units of Israeli-made cal. 7.62mm Light Machine Guns procured under a G2G Procurement;

45 Explosive Detectors; and 5,298 units of All-Purpose Undershirt.

Under the PNP modernization program, Body-Worn Cameras or BWCs have also been procured and are now being used by selected police units as part of its effort to promote transparency and at the same time protect their officers from harassment charges each time they serve a warrant of arrest or a search warrant for illegal possession of drugs, firearms and explosives.

The PNP has also set its sights on acquiring more aircraft to better fight crime and terrorism. Programmed for acquisition by the PNP last year were 12 aircrafts including two fixed-wing planes. Early this year, the PNP formally accepted the delivery of three brand new H-125 Airbus single engine helicopters.

The PNP now has seven H-125 Airbus choppers, two R-22 Robinson choppers and a fixed-wing trainer plane in its fleet.