MANILA, Philippines – Help is on its way for police in Eastern Visayas nearly 6 months after its towns and cities were ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday, April 30, inaugurated 30 motorcycles donated by the US Embassy for personnel of Police Regional Office 8, which was hit heaviest by Yolanda.

“Marami sa kagamitan doon sa Region 8 ay kasama sa pagsalanta ni Yolanda, so ito ‘yung papalit dito,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II told reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City. Roxas is also the chairman of the National Police Commission.

(Many of their equipment were washed away during Yolanda. [The 30 motorcycles] will replace those equipment.)

The PNP said at least 6 of its personnel from Eastern Visayas died as a result of Yolanda. Over 6,300 personnel were affected by the typhoon, while 15 were injured.

According to the PNP public information head, Chief Superintendent Theodore Sindac, the motorcycles would be delivered in the next few days.

Also inaugurated were 28 units of Toyota Altis Patrol cars, representing a partial delivery of 110 units, as well as 20 650cc motorcycles, a partial delivery of 59 units.

The patrol cars and 650cc motorcycles were bought using the funds from the PNP’s 2012 and 2013 Capability Enhancement Program “for the PNP regular procurement from APEC Funds.” 

Roxas explained the units were bought through the budget department’s procurement service. “Ito ay [galing sa] dating budget ng PNP at dahil nga gipit sa oras at para hindi mag-expire ‘yung authorization, iniakyat ito sa DBM, at DBM procurement service ang nag-execute ng procurement nito,” he said. 

(This is from the PNP’s old budget. Because we were running out of time and so the authorization would not expire, we forwarded it to the Department of Budget and Management, and it was DBM’s procurement service that executed the procurement.) 

The police cars were brought primarily to prepare for the World Economic Forum and the Asean Association of Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) Conference, which the PNP will host May 12-16, 2014. 

At least 2,000 more patrol cars will be purchased by the PNP soon, said Roxas.  

Roxas added that the PNP was also preparing for international figures who will also be visiting the country. – Rappler.com