Cocaine discovery prompts PNP to beef up maritime, aerial power
The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced Friday that it has programmed floating and flying assets worth more than P1.134 billion to guard the country’s 36,000kilometer coastline against international drug smugglers, poachers, and other criminals in the wake of the discovery of floating cocaine in various areas.
“The PNP capability enhancement program has programmed more floating and flying assets for the PNP Maritime Group and PNP Aviation Security group to boost police response against criminal activity in coastal waters, including recent recovery of cocaine in the eastern shores of the Philippines believed to have come from vessels in the high seas of the Pacific,” said PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde.
Albayalde revealed that the PNP Bid and Awards Committee (BAC) has already approved the procurement of 28 units of high-speed tactical watercraft worth
1336,000,000 – seven of which have already been delivered and are currently in-service.
Eighteen more units are pro-
grammed under the 2019 procurement program as additional equipment for maritime operations, police visibility in shorelines and maritime law enforcement and public safety operations, Albayalde noted.
At present the PNP fleet of watercraft include 107 police rubber boats, 19 coastal crafts, 25 fast boats four speed boats and 10 gun boats/dauntless boats used by the 17 regional maritime units, three maritime special operations units, and other police maritime stations nationwide.
Albayalde said the PNP is also adding five single-engine turbine and training helicopters worth 1798,388,799.98 to its aerial fleet.
The units, which are expected to be delivered in August 2019, will “bolster anti-terrorism operations and air support to maritime patrol operations in high seas,” Albayalde stated.
According to the PNP chief, the
11,134,388,799.98 budget allotted for sea and air assets will steer and enhance operational capability during seaborne and airborne police operations in line with the flagship campaign of the national government against terrorism, illegal drugs and criminality.
In February, 2019 alone, at least 165 kilos of cocaine bricks worth 1871.674 million were discovered in Surigao del Sur, Aurora province, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Quezon province, and Camarines Norte.