PNP  Chief, Director General Nicanor A Bartolome has approved a P1.2-billion supply contract that will provide guns to each of the 148,000 members of the national police.

Senior Non-Commissioned Police Officers representing the PNP rank-and-file hailed Bartolome's ministerial approval of the P1.2-billion weapons contract as the long-awaited solution to the perennial problem of lack of mission-essential basic police equipment in the PNP.

The P1.198-billion procurement is funded by a combined 2011-2012 Capability Enhancement Program (CEP) appropriation. 

Bartolome extended the commendation of President Benigno S Aquino III and incoming DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to the PNP Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), including the proponents and participating bidders that made this landmark procurement possible, consistent with provisions of the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, contained in the Handbook on Philippine Government Procurement.

"This particular procurement program, the biggest in recent years and most advantageous for government, shall henceforth set the standard for transparency and accountability in future procurement programs," Bartolome said.

The Chief PNP  affirmed a contract earlier entered into by the PNP with Trust Trade Philippines and Glock Asia for the supply of 59,904 units of  Glock 17 Generation 4 pistols at a unit cost of Php16,659.94

With the approval of contract, the BAC is poised to issue a Notice to Proceed to Trust Trade Phils within the next three (3) days, giving the supplier 570 days to complete delivery of the entire order in five tranches.

Initial delivery of the first 12,000 units is expected sometime in February 2013. Thereafter, two succeeding deliveries are due every 120 calendar days, and two more deliveries in the last 180 days of the delivery period.

As provided in the supply contract, each unit comes in a complete set with two spare clips, cleaning kit, user's manual, carrying case and a basic load of 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

PNP  Deputy Chief for Administration and concurrent BAC Chair, Dep Dir Gen Emelito Sarmiento said the PNP generated Php200-million savings in this particular procurement enough to fund a re-order of 12,000 more handgun units.

PNP  Director for Logistics, Police Director Arnulfo Perez for his part said this procurement program allows the PNP to acquire a standard police handgun similar to modern handguns used by 60% of police forces in America, Europe and Asia.

"Police units in the field are assured of uniformity and interchangeability of parts of their issued handguns under any type of operating condition," Perez said.

The PNP currently has an assortment of 85,689 handguns issued to 143,104 personnel.

The PNP expects to amass a total of 172,289 handguns in its inventory upon completion of all ongoing and forthcoming procurement programs to include 14,696 more handguns to be procured from an unused 2010 appropriation and 12,000 more to be acquired thru the Php200-million savings generated from the 2011-2012 CEP.   

"There will be enough handguns to arm all 148,000 active-duty personnel and new police recruits joining the force in the next couple of years, with enough reserves to compensate for breakage and losses, Perez assured. (PNP-PIO)