Robredo orders PNP: Wrap up P1-billion license card deal probe

MANILA, Philippines – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo gave the Philippine National Police (PNP) until March 30 to finish the investigation into an allegedly anomalous P1-billion contract involving the printing of license cards.

Robredo said he issued the order to the PNP Legal Service and the PNP Director for Comptrollership but both offices failed to act promptly and accordingly on the issue.

According to a report by a technical working group (TWG) of the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Division (FED), a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed in March 2010 between the PNP and Nanjing Industrial Tools and Equipment Co., headed by Romeo Macapinlac.

“I have long asked the PNP to give me an explanation and progress reports on its review of the PNP-Nanjing MOA. I understand that the PNP-FED TWG sought the opinion of the Legal Service and (they) failed to act promptly and accordingly on the issue at hand,” said Robredo.

He said he ordered PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome in November 2011 to investigate the matter after Sen. Panfilo Lacson, during a Senate plenary budget hearing, asked why the P150 fee for each license card is paid directly to Nanjing without a standard government payment order.

Prior to 2009, such a payment is covered by an order of payment addressed to the Land Bank of the Philippines.

According to the DILG’s legal office’s computation, Nanjing has been printing an average of 21,818 cards per month for the PNP-FED and 20,245 cards per month for the PNP’s Supervisory Office for Security Agencies. This means that over a period of 15 years at P150 for each card, the contract is worth P1.1357 billion.

Robredo said Bartolome replied last Jan. 4 that he had a TWG under acting FED chief Senior Superintendent Raul Petrasanta review the PNP agreement with Nanjing and make appropriate recommendations.

Robredo, citing the TWG’s report, said “it appears there was no competitive bidding conducted prior to the selection of Nanjing, including ambiguous provisions in the contract authorizing Nanjing to pull out all its materials and equipment in the event that the project was aborted or cancelled prior to its completion.”