Gun deal most transparent so far, says PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP), perceived to be among the most corrupt government agencies, on Sunday said its P1.2-billion contract for the purchase of handguns for police personnel was the “most transparent” procurement process it had conducted in years.

“In fact, we will make this a model for our future bidding projects,” PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo said in an interview over radio dzBB.

Cerbo played down insinuations that the PNP violated some of its own bidding rules to favor Trust Trade and its foreign partner, Glock Asia Pacific, which submitted the second lowest bid of P998 million for 59,904 Glock 17 Generation 4 9mm pistols.

The PNP turned to Trust Trade’s offer after the original winning bidder, R. Espineli and partner Israel Weapons Industry, was disqualified for failure to complete documentary requirements.

Espineli submitted the lowest bid to supply Jericho handguns for P974 million, which would have saved the PNP some P220 million.

According to Cerbo, the savings that the PNP would generate from the gun purchase would be used to buy vehicles and communications equipment to improve its ground mobility and capability.

Meanwhile, Trust Trade vehemently denied that its Glock pistols showed serious defects which would have disqualified it from bagging the lucrative contract.

Joy Jose, Trust Trade director, said most of the nine “minor defects” that the PNP noted during the 20,000-round gun endurance and stress test could be attributed to human factor.

“The defects were not necessarily attributed to the guns. What happened is that the shooter did not handle the pistol appropriately, which caused it to jam. The video taken during the test would show this,” she said.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Fajardo, head of the PNP’s technical working group, backed Jose, saying that a pistol being tested is allowed 15 minor defects before this is considered one major defect. Marlon Ramos