The Department of the Interior and Local Government respects the decision of the President to remove the procurement of equipment as one of the administrative functions of the Philippine National Police and is currently studying how the directive can be implemented.
“Sec. Eduardo Año has directed our lawyers to study the matter and to make their recommendations to him on how it can be implemented without unduly delaying the procurement timetable of the PNP. We will comply with the directive of the President and assure him that henceforth the DILG will closely review the procurement of the PNP,” said DILG Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.
He said that the PNP already apologized to the President for the “glaring but honest mistakes” in their presentation about the procurement of speed detection systems during the recent command conference of the police and the military which the President chaired.
“We believe it was an honest mistake,” he said, adding that the PNP has conducted all its procurement transactions properly.
Malaya noted that PNP best practices in procurement transactions over those years has resulted in huge savings for the government and improved operational capacity of PNP units equipped with better acquired mission-essential tools, mobile assets and resources.
With this new authority from the President, the DILG assures the public that they will be vigilant in reviewing the procurement activities of the PNP.
He said that the PNP has a very good record of procurement for the last three years with absorptive capacity of 98 percent with no protests from proponents or watchdogs. – DILG release
April 20, 2024
