Beemers for police cars? DILG opens bidding

MANILA, Philippines – The government is going to purchase 2,500 patrol cars “to increase police visibility, mobility, and crime-fighting ability” nationwide, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II announced on Wednesday, June 19.

If one of the bidders that Roxas invited bags the contract, the cops will indeed be visible – in fact, they will catch attention – with their flashy BMWs.

Roxas met with senior officials of about a dozen car manufacturers and dealers in Camp Crame on Wednesday. Representatives came from Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Kia, and BMW, among others.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has allotted P2.08 billion for the procurement.

Roxas said they are looking for “single cab pickup [types] with a carrier at the back.”

These will be purchased in bulk and not by piecemeal, Roxas said – “bulto at hindi sachet-style ang procurement.”

He said the purchase of these vehicles will be through an “open, transparent and fair bidding” process. It will be a “two-envelope” process involving technical and financial evaluation. Only those who pass the technical evaluation will be qualified to enter the financial evaluation phase.

Roxas tasked PNP officials to come up with new specifications for the vehicles it wants to procure, including its fuel capacity, engine displacement, horsepower, transmission among others.

On the other hand, he gave interested car manufactureres and dealers 30 to 45 days to come up with a prototype of the vehicle they will offer. 

PNP deputy chief for operations Felipe Rojas said funds for the procurement of police vehicles will be sourced from the following:

• unused P241.5 million PNP Capability Enhancement Program (CEP) for 2012;
• P894.4 million from CEP for 2013;
• P944.4 million from the PNP Operational Transformation Plan (PNP OTP).

All 3 allocations are still awaiting Special Allotment Release Orders from the budget and management department. – Rappler.com


 City life and BMW wheel image via Shutterstock