According to this story, about 10% of the National Police in the Philippines do NOT have a service gun due to the lack of funds.
It appears they use the 9mm Beretta which costs about 27,000 Philippine Pesos (I think that is equal to about $485), but some new cops have to buy their own guns!
The Philippines is on the front lines of the worldwide fight against terrorism, so it is hard to believe that about 10% of their police force is unarmed.
Here is the link to the story:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=NATIONAL&oid=56721
10 percent of cops do not have firearms
The National Police admitted on Thursday that some 11,500 policemen or 10 percent of the 115,000-man force do not have firearms.
Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, National Police spokesman, said a gun is expensive -- the 9mm Beretta service pistol used by policemen costs P27,000.
About 15 percent of policemen did not have issued firearms at the start of the year.
Goltiao said the police is continuing the program to purchase firearms for policemen and almost all Metro Manila police officers are now armed.
The issue of policemen without issued service firearms arose as a number of rookie policemen were reported to have been forced to buy their own handguns to be able to pursue their duties.
Goltiao assured police officers that new firearms will be purchased this year because the funds for the purpose were included in the government's 2004 budget.
He said that unless something "drastically wrong" happens to the police budget, by 2006 all policemen will be issued with their own service firearms.
At the same time, Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime chief, enjoined the police force to be morally and spiritually upright to win the support of the people.
"Values formation is among the most potent weapons we can ever have in fighting the evils and temptations of society," said Velasco during the recent gathering of the Police Values Formation Council of Ministers in Olongapo City.
Malacañang had announced that President Arroyo will personally lead the government's fight against graft and corruption by designating herself as the concurrent chairmann of the 11-man Presidential Commission on Values Formation (PCVF) through Executive Order 317, which amended EO 314. F. Legaspi
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:banghead: :banghead:
Just my 2 cents...
It appears they use the 9mm Beretta which costs about 27,000 Philippine Pesos (I think that is equal to about $485), but some new cops have to buy their own guns!
The Philippines is on the front lines of the worldwide fight against terrorism, so it is hard to believe that about 10% of their police force is unarmed.
Here is the link to the story:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=NATIONAL&oid=56721
10 percent of cops do not have firearms
The National Police admitted on Thursday that some 11,500 policemen or 10 percent of the 115,000-man force do not have firearms.
Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, National Police spokesman, said a gun is expensive -- the 9mm Beretta service pistol used by policemen costs P27,000.
About 15 percent of policemen did not have issued firearms at the start of the year.
Goltiao said the police is continuing the program to purchase firearms for policemen and almost all Metro Manila police officers are now armed.
The issue of policemen without issued service firearms arose as a number of rookie policemen were reported to have been forced to buy their own handguns to be able to pursue their duties.
Goltiao assured police officers that new firearms will be purchased this year because the funds for the purpose were included in the government's 2004 budget.
He said that unless something "drastically wrong" happens to the police budget, by 2006 all policemen will be issued with their own service firearms.
At the same time, Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime chief, enjoined the police force to be morally and spiritually upright to win the support of the people.
"Values formation is among the most potent weapons we can ever have in fighting the evils and temptations of society," said Velasco during the recent gathering of the Police Values Formation Council of Ministers in Olongapo City.
Malacañang had announced that President Arroyo will personally lead the government's fight against graft and corruption by designating herself as the concurrent chairmann of the 11-man Presidential Commission on Values Formation (PCVF) through Executive Order 317, which amended EO 314. F. Legaspi
******
:banghead: :banghead:
Just my 2 cents...