PNP orders probe on discrepancy in delivery of firearms, vests to regional offices

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar. INQUIRER file photo / Niño Jesus Orbeta

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday tasked its personnel to look into the reported discrepancies that the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged in connection with the transfer of firearms and body armor vests to police regional offices.

This developed after COA reported that records showing the firearms and body armor vests sent over to Police Regional Offices across the country did not match the data provided in the PNP national headquarters’ (NHQ) records.

“I already directed the concerned police offices to check why the records of the national headquarters and the Police Regional Offices do not match. They should reconcile the records and correct the discrepancies to avoid possible issues in the deployment of weapons and other equipment to the Police Regional Offices,” PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.

“The PNP remains transparent and I assure the COA that we will address and correct this. Gusto din natin tiyakin na ang lahat ng mga gamit na nakalaan para sa ating mga Police Regional Offices ay nakararating at accounted [We also want to make sure that all the supplies allocated for our Police Regional Offices arrived and accounted for],” he added.

In its 2020 report, COA revealed that the books of accounts of 11 Police Regional Offices did not match the number of items — 9mm pistols, basic assault rifles, enhanced combat helmets, and tactical vests — which were supposedly transferred to them as indicated in the records at the PNP.

These discrepancies were found in regional offices in the Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Cordillera Administrative Region and  the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

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