PNP to hire new cops, buy more firearms

The Philippine National Police is recruiting 15,000 new police officers and buying 70,000 firearms this year, a ranking police official said on Sunday.

PNP Deputy Director General Archie Francisco Gamboa, chief of the PNP directorial staff, said the PNP was also planning to buy seven helicopters after it received a P7-billion budget to make new purchases.

“Our air unit before was only made up of air but no unit. We had no air asset for eight or nine years but … later this year, we will have two single-engine helicopters [that are] made in France,” Gamboa said.

He said the PNP had intended to buy four single-engine helicopters, but with the additional budget given by President Duterte and Congress, this could increase to seven. —Philip C. Tubeza