Philippine National Police Adds Attack Helicopters to Wish List
The Philippine National Police has added two brand new attack helicopters to its wishlist that it submitted to President Aquino as part of the institution's modernization program.
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| Image Source: Wikimedia |
The need for additional attack helicopters came after a series of attacks by communist rebels that left several cops killed and wounded. One hundred police trainees were ambushed and wounded while participating in special training in Mount Province. One of the trainees was killed.
The attack helicopters will be stationed in the provinces for use by elite police units like the Special Action Force. The two helicopters added to the wishlist are in addition to two others helicopters that will be used for disaster response and anti-criminality campaigns in Metro Manila. The Philippine National Police is also making preparations for anti-insurgency operations as the military begins to focus more on territorial defence.
The only operational helicopter in the Philippine National Police force crash landed in Benguet. The other two choppers in the police fleet cannot be used for operations as they are being used as evidence in the PNP chopper scandal that involved the purchase of used choppers at brand new prices.
But acquiring new helicopters could prove to be a challenge and Purisima knows that it could take time as the helicopters are very expensive. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas admitted the need for PNP choppers but stated that their purchase is not a priority at the moment.
The Aquino administration is on a massive P9 billion modernization program for the Philippine National Police this year that will see the purchase of new patrol cars, assault rifles, communication equipment, and the hiring of additional police personnel. The PNP usually has a P2 billion annual budget for modernization but most of last year's money was spent on the acquisition of pistols to resolve the more than 50% shortage of fire arms for the 148,000 police officers.
A survey recently released by Transparency International found that the Philippine National Police is the most corrupt institution in the country. The survey showed that 69% of surveyed Filipinos believe that police personnel are corrupt.
The attack helicopters will be stationed in the provinces for use by elite police units like the Special Action Force. The two helicopters added to the wishlist are in addition to two others helicopters that will be used for disaster response and anti-criminality campaigns in Metro Manila. The Philippine National Police is also making preparations for anti-insurgency operations as the military begins to focus more on territorial defence.
The only operational helicopter in the Philippine National Police force crash landed in Benguet. The other two choppers in the police fleet cannot be used for operations as they are being used as evidence in the PNP chopper scandal that involved the purchase of used choppers at brand new prices.
But acquiring new helicopters could prove to be a challenge and Purisima knows that it could take time as the helicopters are very expensive. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas admitted the need for PNP choppers but stated that their purchase is not a priority at the moment.
The Aquino administration is on a massive P9 billion modernization program for the Philippine National Police this year that will see the purchase of new patrol cars, assault rifles, communication equipment, and the hiring of additional police personnel. The PNP usually has a P2 billion annual budget for modernization but most of last year's money was spent on the acquisition of pistols to resolve the more than 50% shortage of fire arms for the 148,000 police officers.
A survey recently released by Transparency International found that the Philippine National Police is the most corrupt institution in the country. The survey showed that 69% of surveyed Filipinos believe that police personnel are corrupt.
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