Belmonte donates new gear to QC bomb squad

Quezon City Feliciano Belmonte Jr. donated yesterday some P6 million worth of crime fighting equipment, including modern bomb disposal gear, to the Central Police District to further augment law enforcement and counter-terrorism capability of the city police force.

Belmonte, assisted by Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista and members of the city council turned over the British-made bomb disposal gear to Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco.

"Mobility and communications are vital components of the anti-crime and terrorist campaign," Belmonte told City Hall and police officials during yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony .

The mayor said the city government will continue to provide the necessary assistance to the police so they can provide quality police service to the residents of the city. The Philippine National Police has deployed an additional 300 policemen to the city, bringing the total number of officers to 2,694.

At yesterday’s rites, a portable x-ray machine, an explosive ordnance device (EOD) suit with liquid cooling system, 84 ordnance disposal kits and two brand new Isuzu Crosswind patrol cars were turned over for use of the CPD bomb disposal unit.

The CPD command also received 150 Motorola handheld radios.

Velasco said yesterday the new batch of bomb disposal and communication gear is biggest so far received by the PNP. The new equipment is part of the P50 million assistance the Quezon City government has committed to the national capital region Police Office.

"As far as assistance to the PNP is concerned, Quezon City tops the list," Velasco said.

He cited the overwhelming support of the mayor for the overall effort of the Metro police in maintaining peace and order.

"This only shows how Mayor Belmonte and his administration truly cares for his constituents. The generous donation is an assurance that the city is committed to ensuring the safety of each resident or transient," Velasco said.

Senior Police Officer 4 Arnulfo Franco, chief of the 10-man CPD bomb disposal unit ,said that with the modern bomb disposal kits, they can quickly respond to any bomb threat in the city.

"So far there have been no real bomb threats, but we can respond quickly with our vehicles and new gear," Franco said.

He and his men showed the capability of the portable x-ray machine during a demonstration yesterday involving a gift-wrapped bomb. The bomb was immediately displayed on the screen of a laptop computer which had been connected to the portable x-ray machine.

"We can easily determine if it is a dud or a live bomb," Franco said. – With Non Alquitran