GMA gives P1 billion to PNP to hire additional cops, buy more guns

President Arroyo ordered yesterday the Philippine National Police (PNP) to hire 15,000 new policemen, and to buy 4,000 additional patrol cars and 25,000 handguns.

Speaking at the PNP’s 15th anniversary celebration at Camp Crame, Mrs. Arroyo said she will release P1 billion to the police force to make it more effective and efficient in fighting crime.

"In the next few days of this week, we are releasing a series of SAROs (special allotment release orders) worth P1 billion for the PNP," she said.

"We are releasing the amount so that the PNP can hire new policemen, and buy new handguns and buy new patrol cars," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo said the PNP would be among the first government agencies to benefit from additional tax revenues.

"The rebate our people are entitled to from good tax collections will come in the form of more policemen, who can outrun, outmaneuver, and if necessary, outshoot the toughest of the hoods," she said.

"From the start, with your support, men and women of the police, I need you, I still need you because the seas were often rough and the wind was in our face. But because the police were always there for me, we could sail on and we sailed on because the choices were stark — sail against the wind and change our economic fortunes," the Chief Executive said.

Mrs. Arroyo said the government would hire 15,000 policemen in the next three years — 5,000 each year from 2006 to 2008.

"All these policemen will pound the streets and the town they will be assigned to serve and protect," she said. "Some police officers will be assigned as guardians of women and children."

Of the 15,000, 15 percent will be women, who would serve as the "reassuring faces" behind the desks of many police stations to help desperate housewives and distressed children, she added.

Mrs. Arroyo has instructed Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes to augment the emergency response network Patrol 117 with 50 more telephone lines to boost the communications network of policemen.

"With this, policemen can always be reached and never outside the coverage area," she said.

However, Mrs. Arroyo said technology is "just an aid" to good police work.

"The essential core of the mission of keeping people safe remains the person inside the uniform," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo said a good policeman should always have guts, grace and gallantry, in addition to an effective communications network to do his or her job effectively.