Proposed PNP budget to go to recruitment, more firearms - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines ? Almost 80 percent of the proposed budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 2011 will go to the Philippine National Police (PNP), where budget allocation will be devoted to recruitment and purchase of more firearms and equipment.

The PNP?s proposed budget of P69.4 billion will go to the recruitment of an additional 3,000 Police Officers 1, the purchase of 15,000 more short firearms, 350 patrol jeeps, 365 motorcycles, and 1,844 communication equipment.

The intention to add more manpower, firepower, and ground assets came in the wake of the bungled rescue of Hong Kong tourists, eight of whom were killed, where insufficiencies in both firepower and equipment were highlighted.

In a statement, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said the proposed budget for the PNP will be 39 percent higher than the current budget of P49.8 billion.

The proposed budget for the entire DILG is P86.9 billion, 32 percent higher than this year?s P65.6 billion budget.

Robredo said that the recruitment of more police officers will improve the police to population ratio at 1:661, bringing it closer to the ideal ratio of 1:500. This, he said, will result to increased police visibility.

Also part of the proposed PNP budget was the construction of 15 additional police stations, reducing the shortfall of police stations to 42 percent. Robredo said records revealed that the PNP owns only 717 out of the 1,745 police stations nationwide.

Other components of the DILG budget include the following: P7.2 billion for the BFP; P5.1 billion for the BJMP; P2.5 billion for the Office of the Secretary; P1.3 billion for the National Police Commission (Napolcom); P1 billion for the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC); and P105.1 million for the Local Government Authority (LGA).

?Our proposed budget comes with an assurance and commitment that it shall be judiciously spent to realize our various plans, programs, projects and activities for both interior and local government sectors, the impact of which shall be felt by and bear fruits for the citizenry,? Robredo said.