On October 11, recently retired Philippine National Police (PNP) comptroller Eliseo dela Paz and his wife were held by Russian airport authorities as they were about to depart Moscow airport after it was discovered that they had 105,000 euros (P6.9 million) in their hand carried belongings.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the money was a "contingency fund" for the eight-person PNP delegation to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia. Critics say the money could have been better used for equipment and supplies the PNP badly needs. Here are a few suggestions on how the PNP could have spent P6.9 million.

Item: Patrol cars

Number of units owned by PNP:   1,062
Number of units needed:    2,698
Cost per unit:    A patrol car/jeep in Pandan, Antique costs around P900,000 each.
How many will P6.9 million buy?   8 patrol cars

Item: Patrol jeeps

Number of units owned:    3,231
Number of units needed:    8,174
Cost per unit:     The cost of patrol jeeps is almost the same as that of patrol cars, P900,000 each.
How many will P6.9 million buy?    8 patrol jeeps

Item: Patrol motorcycles

Number of units owned:    3,572
Number of units needed:   10,495
Cost per unit:     In 2006, PNP allotted P9.6 million for 12 600-cc motorcycles. PNP currently issues 125-cc which costs P300,000 and 250-cc which costs P400,000. 600-cc models cost more but consume less gasoline.
How many will P6.9 million buy?   10 patrol motorcycles if 600-cc models, 17 motorcycles if 250-cc models, 23 motorcycles if 125-cc models

Item: Firearms (short and long)

Number of units owned:   74,864
Number of units needed:   46,916
Cost per unit:   In May 2008, P176.2 million was allotted for 5,000 firearms, each costing P35,240.
How many will P6.9 million buy?  197 firearms

Item: Police stations

Number of units owned:   1,628
Number of units needed:    945
Cost per unit:    Construction of a police station in Antique has an estimated cost of P500,000.
How many will P6.9 million buy?   13 police stations

Item: Handheld radios

Number of units owned:   3,130
Number of units needed:   29,809
Cost per unit:    P37,500 per unit
How many will P6.9 million buy?   184 handheld radios

Item: Gasoline

Current supply:    Marikina receives 2,469 liters of gasoline for the month of October to fuel 38 mobiles.
What is needed:    A mobile needs 300 liters of gasoline per month for operations. Marikina needs 11,400 liters of gasoline monthly.
Cost per unit:   As of October 2008, gasoline price: P51.85/liter.
How many will P6.9 million buy?   132,692 liters

Item: Diesel

Current supply:   Marikina gets 290 liters of diesel for the month of October to fuel five mobiles.
What is needed:   A mobile needs 300 liters of diesel per month for operations. Maikina needs 1,500 liters of diesel fuel monthly.
Cost per unit:   As of October 2008, diesel price: P48.97/liter.
How many will P6.9 million buy? 140,816 liters

Item: Ammunition

The basics: The basic load of a 9mm pistol is 40 rounds. Each round has three to four magazines. Each magazine contains 15 bullets.
Number of units needed:
The PNP is supposed to provide bullets during proficiency trainings and replace bullets used in encounters.
A UNDP study however found that only 10 bullets are issued per year for marksmanship training. Personnel in some police stations even report that no marksmanship training has ever been conducted.
Cost per unit: The government price is P15 per bullet.
How many will P6.9 million buy? 460,000 bullets
 

Sources:

2009 PNP budget proposal presented to the House of representatives budget sub-committee hearing on September 26, 2008.

Marikina Police Station

Philippine National Police Executive Summary

Marikina Bids and Awards Committee

Municipality of Pandan, Antique

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