MANILA, Philippines — As typhoon “Ramil” (international codename: Lupit) nears the country, the Philippine National Police has deployed 11 rubber boats to key provinces in Northern Luzon to assist in possible rescue operations for residents trapped in floodwaters.
These newly-procured rubber boats were deployed Wednesday and would be used by elite police forces such as the Special Action Force, the Maritime Group, and local police in these areas, said Director Luizo Ticman of the Directorate for Logistics in Camp Crame on Wednesday.
In his speech during the simple turnover ceremonies, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said that these rubber boats and other equipment would help as the PNP shifts its disaster response to rescue efforts.
“We pray of course that [“Ramil”] will not cause too much damage to our communities in the north but we have to always be prepared to do what is necessary to save the loves of those who are beset with the problems of these calamities,” Puno said in his speech.
Apart from these rubber boats, police also acquired other equipment as part of the PNP’s Capability Enhance Program.
Purchases include 340 patrol jeepneys, 137 Toyota Innova light vehicles, 28 V-150 armored vehicles, 75 rubber boats, 90 sniper rifles, 1,000 shotguns, 100 grenade launchers, and 150 computer equipment.
The PNP also purchased several tactical uniforms and equipment such as binoculars, mobile and handheld radios, helmets, and global position system (GPS) units.
“These 75 rubber boats are intended for the Maritime Group. We are currently reviewing the best possible means of distributing these boats but right now, these will be deployed in various regional units of the Maritime Group,” Ticman said.
These equipment cost around P2 billion, which is part of the PNP’s modernization program.
The procurement of these patrol jeeps has, in effect, provided every police station in the country with at least one patrol jeep. The purchase of guns also effectively cuts down the gun shortage of the national police force, Ticman said.
