POE TO PROVIDE PNP WITH MORE EQUIPMENT, ALLOWANCES

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Presidential frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe said she would move for a well-equipped, well-financed and well-disciplined Philippine National Police to improve its men's morale in their anti-crime campaign.

Given these, Poe said she would require all officers in the agency to accomplish efficiently their respective assigned tasks or face relief from their posts.

"Unang-una, dapat palakihin din natin ang mga kapulisan. Pero sa pagpapalakas sa kanila ay kailangan din ng disiplina sa kanila. Bigyan sila ng tamang suporta sa kanilang kagamitan," she said.

The need to increase the various PNP operating units' operational budgets from their present level is necessary because times have changed and the amount is already insufficient in the present situation.

"Alam ba ninyo na ang isang prisinto sa isang munisipyo, kunyari sampu ang kanilang pulis doon, ang kanilang maintenance and operating expenses ay ten thousand pesos lang or 1,000 pesos per police officer," she said.

She said the P1,000 allocation per police officer in a police station would usually cover office maintenance such as water, electricity, utility and gasoline expense for their patrol vehicles.

"Paano pa sila iikot kung ganun lamang ang budget na kukunin nila? Paano sila magmo-monitor? So, kailangan dagdagan ang budget para sa kanila," she explained.

In every town or city, Poe said she would hold responsible all local commanders and would apply to them the "one strike policy" if they failed to curb or stop criminality in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

"Pag mayroong isang PNP na in-charge sa isang lugar at ang peace and order ay hindi pa rin naaayos, sabihin na natin sa dalawa o tatlong buwan, dapat alisin. Ibig sabihin hindi ka epektibo sa trabaho mo sapagkat maraming barangay doon ang nagkakagulo," she said.

"At pag may nagkasala na isang alagad ng batas, one strike out kaagad sapagkat sila ang dapat dinedependahan natin ng ating security. Kung hindi natin sila mapagkakatiwalaan, anong mangyayari?" she added.