THE Toledo City Police Station in Cebu on Thursday scored a landmark accomplishment after getting seven brand-new Mitsubishi Montero patrol vehicles from the city government headed by Mayor Marjorie P. Perales.

According to Toledo City police chief, Lieutenant Colonel Dennis C. de Guzman, he was able to successfully lobby for funds for the procurement of the SUVs-turned (sport utility vehicles) patrol vehicles from the Peace and Order and Public Safety Funds or POPS of the city government.

“The LGU (local government unit) turned over the brand-new vehicles to us Thursday. This is actually the first of its kind na procurement na maramihan sa mga component cities nationwide,” the official said.

De Guzman said he managed to convince the city government to procure the vehicles using the government procurement planning and budgeting method he learned while still assigned at the Philippine National Police (PNP) National Headquarters in Camp Crame.

“I merely applied what I learned while in Camp Crame here,” he told the Journal Group.

Due to budgetary constraints, the PNP, at most, can provide only one patrol car per station in a year. What De Guzman did was tap the huge potential of the POPS funds to equip the police force at large.

“I honestly want this known publicly by all chiefs of police in the country para masundan nila. Imagine, kahit isa lang ma-procure kada municipality or cities nationwide, that’s about 1,766 vehicles which are more than what the (PNP) can procure for itself in a year,” the official said.

De Guzman described last Thursday as a “momentous occasion” for the Toledo City Police Station in particular, and the PNP in general, for it was the first time that a component city was able to successfully procure seven brand-new SUVs for patrol and other anti-criminality operations in the city using the POPS Funds of the city government.

“The successful procurement of quality SUVs for use in police operations is truly a landmark in the annals of local government units and national agency partnership,” he said.

“This procurement wasn’t a walk in the park. We followed the planning cycle of the city local government office, made exemption requests up to DILG Central, adhered to rigorous budgeting procedures, went thru the Peace and Order Council hearing up to the favorable passage of the resolution by the City Council on the procurement of these SUVs,” De Guzman said.

He also proudly declared that in this landmark procurement, they strictly complied with the government procurement law and its relevant rules and regulations.

“But our purpose was clear and we achieved our desired results. Ultimately, the Toledo City Police Station had a very good learning experience in this procurement, especially considering that a chief of police is traditionally tied to the day-to-day running of a station,” he said.

The official said that when he took over as Toledo City police chief last year, he brought with him his six-year experience as a PNP Special Action Force (SAF) Officer plus his seven-year experience in Camp Crame, where he learned “the art” of planning, budgeting, and procurement.

“I am proud to say that my planning and procurement team here in this station was able to produce seven SUVs. On behalf of the men and women of Toledo City Police Station, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our City Mayor, Honorable Marjorie P. Perales, for making this possible,” he said.

“The capital outlay investments such as this one will last numerous chiefs of police. This pioneering endeavor will encourage other LGUs nationwide to do the same,” he added.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Brigadier General Anthony A. Aberin commended the Toledo City police force for their major administrative accomplishment. He also called on the local police to ensure the proper usage and maintenance of the brand-new SUVs-turned patrol vehicles so that they can last long.