BACOLOR, PAMPANGA – Governor Lilia G. Pineda instructed the 15 mayor who attended the Command Conference of all Chiefs of police headed by Police Senior Supt. Oscar Albayalde , provincial police director to allocate atleast P1-million from the P5-million being given every year for each of the 19 municipalities and cities of the province.
In response, the mayors who attended the conference vowed to obey the governor to intensify their drive against all forms of criminalities in their respective towns and cities and for the maintenance of peace and order.
This came when the chiefs of police lamented that insufficient intelligence funds allocated for their activities such as buy-bust operations and regular conduct of foot and mobile patrolling in their areas of jurisdiction.
Albayalde explained that the basis of budget allocation for the operating expenses of every police station is the number of police personnel.
“The Miscellaneous and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the PNP is based on the number of personnel. For instance, a municipal police station with 30 police personnel will receive a budget of P30,000 a month,” he said.
Upon hearing this, the governor also vowed to augment the budget of the police stations aside from the P1-millionwhich would be given by the municipalities through the P5-million assistance of the province.
“Iyong P1-million ay nagmula rin sa kapitolyo, tapos magdadagdag pa ako. Tapos magbibigay pa ang Kapitolyo ng pondo para sa pagpapagawa ng mga police stations,” Pineda said.
The governor added that the mayors should also allocate funds from their 20 percent development funds to support the operational expenses of the local police and encouraged them to buy new patrol cars.
“The PNP needs the full support of the local government units especially in their logistics in order for them to produce concrete results in the fight against crimes perpetrated by the bad elements,” she said.
The local chief executives who attended and agreed to the proposal of the governor are Mayors Anneth Balgan of Macabebe, Dante Torres of Guagua, Condralito Dela Cruz of Porac, Rommel Concepcion of Sta. Ana, Roy Manalastas of Mexico, Oscar Tetangco, Jr. of Apalit, Lito Naguit of Sto. Tomas, Emmanuel Alejandrino of Arayat, Edgardo Flores of Minalin, Eddie Guerrero of Floridablanca, Nardo Velasco of Sasmuan, Yolanda Pineda of Sta. Rita, Romulo Pecson of Magalang, Marino Morales of Mabalacat City and Edwin Santiago of the City of San Fernando.
In fact, Tetangco bared that they are spending more than P1-million for the needs of the local police who maintain the peace and order in Apalit.
“The municipal government is shouldering the gasoline expenses, electric bill, water bill and other expenses of the police station and sub-stations. We also allotted budget for their buy bust operation,” the mayor said.
Guerrero said they have already an existing and working funds for peace and order.
‘A portion of our annual budget is allocated for peace and order and we use this to purchase communication equipment for the PNP and barangay officials,” Guerrero added.
Alejandrino said the proposal of the governor and Vice Governor Dennis Pineda is 100 percent approved as he is willing to allocate funds from his 20 percent development fund for their drive to wipe out criminalities in their municipality.
Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda announced that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will not allow the P5-million allocation in each town unless the municipalities and cities have an allocation for peace and order in their respective annual budget.
BY JENNA LUMBANG
