City to buy 25 shotguns for Mobile Patrol Group

The city government is set to purchase 25 shotguns worth a total P393,250 to be used by the Mobile Patrol Group when responding to emergency situations.

During its regular session last week, the city council adopted the proposed resolution of councilor Sylvan "Jack" Jakosalem of the council's committee on police to grant the mayor authority to buy 25 20-gauge Escort Aimguard pump-action shotguns.

Attached to the said proposed measure is the resolution passed by the city's Bids and Awards Committee recommending to the mayor the purchase of such Belgian-made shotguns to be used for law enforcement.

But the mode of purchase is through direct contracting in pursuant to section 48, Rule 16 of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as "An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for Other Purposes."

Further, Section 50 of the same law provides that direct contracting may be resorted to by concerned procuring entity for goods sold by an exclusive distributor which does not have sub-dealer selling at lower price and for which no suitable substitute can be obtained at more advantageous terms to the government.

This as the Hatsan Arms Company, a Belgium-based company manufacturing the shotguns, appointed and certified that Willi Hahn Enterprises is the exclusive distributor of the said shotguns in the Philippines.

In relation to this acting City Administrator Francisco "Bimbo" Fernandez, who sits as member of BAC, certified that there is no suitable substitute of substantially the same quality available in the market for this particular product except the one being supplied by Willi Hahn Enterprises.

Further, BAC has found the price offer of the said local distributor at P13,750 for each shotgun or equivalent to P343,750 to be fair and reasonable in the prevailing market and for the processing of its license at P1,980 per firearm or equivalent to P49,500, and thus amounting to an overall sum of P393,250.

City Budget Officer Nelfa Briones and City Accountant Edna have reportedly signed already a certification on availability of funds for this purpose.

Jakosalem has earlier recommended to the mayor for the purchase of the said shotguns following the killing of PO2 Armando Juegos and PO2 Oliver Jamboy of the CSU by a vendor when they responded to a domestic violence alarm last month. - Cristina C. Birondo