President Rodrigo Duterte will order a probe on the Philippine National Police’s purported purchase of costly traffic radars for their operations, Malacañang said Tuesday, after the Chief Executive said he would remove the procurement powers of the police force due to the supposed anomaly.
On Monday, Duterte bared that he had tasked Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to be in charge of the purchase of equipment and firearms of the 40,000 strong police force and said he expects “no corruption.”
“Tinawagan ko si (I called up) Secretary Año. Sabi ko (I said), ‘Do not allow the police to procure. Ang opisina mo na ang mag-procure (Your office should handle procurement),” President Duterte said.
Duterte lamented about how the PNP spent P950,000 per unit of traffic radars when he could purchase the same type of device in Davao City for only P10,000 per unit.
“I said I may be wrong. But certainly, P950,000 radar is just stupid because in Davao it’s only P10,000,” Duterte said in his speech before the Philippine Marine Corps in Taguig City.
Asked by Palace reporters if the President would probe the purchase, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said: “I suppose it goes without saying. When there is an anomaly, the investigation should be forthcoming.”
However, it was unclear how Duterte’s another verbal order would work, especially that the PNP has its own procurement rules and systems specified by the law.
In a chance interview after Duterte’s speech, he described as “abominable” how the PNP spent almost a million pesos to purchase traffic radars and expressed confidence there would be no corruption under Año’s helm.
Duterte also floated the possibility of establishing a Bureau of Supply similar to a government office created during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos, that would be mandated to track government procurement.
“Maybe I’ll create a Bureau of Supply. That would buy. Then I want everything to be listed. The tractor, what you want to buy, airplane, indicate the price. Use international pricing so it would be easy to determine how much. In public,” Duterte said.
Duterte earlier gave Año the “blanket authority” to supervise the PNP, while Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa stays as PNP officer-in-charge.
The President said he was willing to provide the police force any equipment and firearms they needed as long as they asked.
“Ako, maski anong hingiin ninyo, basta legal lang, ibibigay ko. Walang problema ‘yan (Me, whatever you ask for, as long as it’s legal, I’ll give it to you. No problem),” Duterte said.
The PNP is currently led by Gamboa only in an acting capacity, following the early retirement of Oscar Albayalde in November last year.
Albayalde’s departure came after he was linked to the “ninja cops” corruption scandal.
The President, meanwhile, warned other government agencies against using public funds for personal gain.
“It’s a warning, lahat ng mga opisina (to all offices). If you will keep on f****** the people’s money, I will remove the procurement powers sa inyo (in your office),” Duterte said.
“Gusto ko ilista lahat. ‘Yung tractor, kung anong gusto mong p***** i**** bilhin, eroplano, ilagay mo ‘yung presyo. ‘Yung international pricing para malaman ko kaagad kung magkano (I want everything listed.
The tractor, what you want to buy, airplane, indicate the price. Use international pricing so it would be easy to determine how much). In public,” Duterte said.
He admitted that he has yet to appoint a PNP chief but only because he wanted Año to ensure that the police force is corrupt-free before he names its new head. With PNA
