PNP: From M16s to M4s this year

New year, new tools of the trade.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed Wednesday that the M16 rifles in its arsenal would soon be replaced with the more modern M4 carbine.

This was earlier announced by Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento during a recent visit to Zamboanga City.

The procurement of “shorter and lighter” basic assault rifles has been programmed since 2014 and 2015, PNP head for logistics Director Juanito B. Vaño Jr. said in a statement. The 5.56mm M4 carbine is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, he added.

Under the 2016 national budget signed by President Aquino last month, the PNP will get P88.1 billion, over P17 billion compared to its 2015 budget.

In a media forum in December, PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez announced plans for the procurement this year of “around 35,000 high-powered rifles, P820-million worth of radio equipment, and P800-million worth of short firearms for personnel recruited after 2012.”

The PNP’s two helicopters will also undergo repairs for “rapid deployment during calamities, emergencies and high-profile violent attacks,” he told reporters.

Security camera command centers will also be set up in all police districts and stations in Metro Manila “so we could monitor the situation on the ground better [and] direct our forces better,” Marquez said.

“We will have coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and link [up] with information-technology systems of local government units. We’ll be seeing more closed-circuit television cameras, especially in crime-prone areas,” he added.

He vowed to prioritize the centralization of the crime reporting system with all complaints from police stations  immediately and automatically sent to a central database.