P1.198-B guns delivered to PNP

MANILA, Philippines - Twelve thousand 9mm pistols worth P1.198 billion have been delivered to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Civil Security Group chief Director Gil Meneses said the handguns formed part of the first batch of the biggest firearms procurement of the PNP.

Meneses said the 12,000 pistols delivered last Saturday are now in a storage area at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig.

He said the firearms will undergo processing and documentation, including ballistics test, before distribution on the third week of March.

“The target recipients of the first batch of firearms will be policemen in the 15 provinces listed as ‘high risk’ during the May 2013 elections, some areas in Mindanao and the new recruits from the PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy),” Meneses said.

Police officials said the procurement of firearms worth P1.198 billion for 59,904 pistols, so far the biggest in the PNP history, brought them a step closer to filling up 100 percent of the PNP handgun requirements.

The Trust Trade joint venture with Glock won the contract to supply the 9mm Glock 17 Generation 4 to the PNP.

The PNP Technical Working Group (TWG) said the delivery period is 570 days from the time the contract was signed in September.

Under the contract, the first tranche of 12,000 units should be delivered within 150 days, the second tranche within 120 days after that, the third tranche is within 120 days, the fourth and fifth tranches within 90 days.

With the deal, police officials said the PNP realized savings of about P200 million from the P1.198-billion allocated budget, since the procurement would only cost P997,997,045.76 or P16,659.76 for each pistol.