FILE PHOTO: Members of the Philippine National Police. Image from Facebook / PNP
MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — The Philippine National Police on Sunday said it is now coordinating with the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) for the delivery of assorted police equipment amounting to almost half a billion pesos.
A Commission on Audit (COA) report showed that the state trading company has yet to deliver the items despite having already received from PNP an amount of P1.348 billion since 2016 for the procurement of various implements.
Among these are bomb-sniffing dogs, utility trucks, genetic DNA analyzers, tactical or handheld radios, light personnel carrier, generators, motorcycles, ponchos, and automatic grenade launchers.
The audit body said the delay in delivery by PITC and the schedule of deliveries by suppliers “affected the operations of PNP and deprived its personnel of timely use of the equipment.”
“The police organization is continually coordinating with the PITC for the procurement and delivery of three police equipment, namely: combat helmets, night vision goggles, and sniper rifles,” the PNP said in a statement.
“Payment for the delivered explosive detections dogs, with training of PNP personnel as canine handlers, is already being processed by PITC after delivery was completed,” the agency added.
The PNP also noted that 70 percent of the P1.348-billion funds for the equipment have already been fully utilized, and the corresponding items have already been delivered to the agency.
“Throughout the years, the logistics arm of the PNP has been in constant coordination with PITC to ensure successful procurement and timely and complete delivery, especially of the remaining equipment,” said Vicente Danao Jr., the police organization’s officer-in-charge.
Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act authorizes the PITC to act as a procuring agent for other government agencies such as PNP.
Delays blamed on pandemic
However, the PITC on Sunday said delays in delivery are due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trading firm noted that of the P1.348 billion procurement projects of the PNP, a total of P835.885 million or 60 percent had been completed and liquidated.
Some P408.355 million or 30 percent remains in the books of PITC for projects awarded and for delivery.
“The delayed deliveries of the remaining projects were caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said PITC President Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong in a statement.
“The present leadership has constantly been in touch with PNP in order to fast track and resolve implementation concerns as PITC wants to finish all on-going projects for contract implementation as soon as possible and clean its books,” Perez-Chiong added.
READ: P.48B in PNP gear, arms undelivered since 2016