SOME 200 members of the Police-Aviation Security Group deployed in the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are not armed, making both local and foreign air travelers feel unsafe.
A police officer assigned at Naia Terminal 3, who asked not to be named, told reporters they were vulnerable because they were in full police uniform but were not carrying a service firearm.
“We all know that with the war against illegal drugs and criminality we put our lives in great danger because we are not armed,” the policeman said.
The Philippine National Police is experiencing a shortage of service firearms, so that thousands of policemen are not armed.
It appeared that the budget to acquire 12,268 caliber 9-millimeter pistols was used to buy police patrol jeeps and other equipment by the previous administration.
Last year, Senator Ralph Recto pushed to include provisions in the 2017 National Budget that would finance the purchase of firearms for the more than 16,000 policemen without guns.
Recto said the 2017 national budget should help the Duterte administration improve the government’s campaign against crime.
He cited a Commission on Audit report on the Philippine National Police that says there are 16,140 cops who have yet to be issued their service pistols.
He also said at least 623 police officers were using “donated” guns while 3,654 policemen had not been issued their service pistols.
“The PNP has not attained a 100-percent issuance of short firearms to uniformed personnel,” Recto said citing the CoA report.