PNP gets new firearms, 4x4 carriers for mountainous provinces

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said at least 130 units of newly procured 4x4 personnel carriers will be distributed to the country’s mountainous areas to boost patrolling even in the farthest areas.

PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the vehicles will be distributed to the provinces of Cordillera, Abra, Mountain Province, Kalinga and Apayao.

In a ceremony in Camp Crame on Thursday, the police presented the 4x4 carriers along with 41 units of Advance Life Support Ambulance; 1,464 All Purpose Vest (Tactical Vest Level III-A w/ 2 Upgrade Plates Level IV); 212 units of 5.56mm Light Machine Gun “NEGEV,”; and 8,001 units of 9mm Striker Fired Pistol "AREX DELTA.”

“In the past nag-ano na tayo namigay na tayo sa Visayas [and] Mindanao last August, so ito ay malaking bagay sa ating pagpapatrolya specifically sa mga lugar na medyo isolated kaya nga 4x4 ang binili natin because these should reach until farthest barangay ng kung saan pinapatrolya dapat ng ating mga kapulisan,” he added.

(We already distributed in the Visayas [and] Mindanao last August, so this is a big help in our patrolling specifically in areas that are a bit isolated, that's why we bought 4x4 because these should reach the farthest barangays where our policemen should be patrolling.)

Azurin, however, said that the PNP still lacked investigative equipment for police operations.

“Definitely ang ating mobility kulang pa rin, even yung ating mga investigative equipment, yung mga vest especially yung mga body work camera na kung saan nirerequire na tayo ng korte na in every police operation we should be using mga body work camera,” he said.

(Definitely, our mobility is still lacking, even our investigative equipment, the vests, especially the body work cameras which the court requires in every police operation.)

“As of now, ang ginagamit natin sa mga kakulangan natin ay yung mga cellphone natin. So yun ang ginagamit ng ating mga police in the conduct of police operations,” he added.

(As of now,  our police are using cellphone in the conduct of operations.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News