THE PNP on Wednesday turned over to the Department of Finance some P288 million in cash donations from policemen and other police organizations to help the government in the fight against COVID-19.
PNP chief Archie Gamboa said the amount of P288,445,207 came from the PNP’s “#Team PNP Bayanihan Fund Challenge” launched last April 15 that originally targeted to raise P200 million. The target was exceeded due to the contributions of the PNP Academy Alumni Association Inc., and the Police Cavaliers Association Inc.
Gamboa said the voluntary contributions “is a clear indication that the PNP is sympathetic to the fight of the government, especially now that’s it’s very difficult.”
“That’s why kahit hindi masyadong malaki (even if the amount is not too large) we like to contribute on the part of the PNP to show also our sympathy to government,” Gamboa said.
Present during the turnover were Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Magaway, PNP Finance Service director; Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana, director for police community relations; Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos, acting director of comptrollership; and Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, chief of the PNP public information office.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez thanked the PNP for a “truly noble and generous effort.”
“It is a great act of citizenship…Volunteering to donate a portion of their salaries was beyond the call of duty of the PNP, yet they gladly did their share to help those in need in this time of crisis,” Dominguez said.
“The worst of times brings out the best in men… This is more than commendable. It is actually heroic,” he added.
Dominguez also thanked cops for being one of the government frontliners in this time that the whole world is facing an unseen enemy.
He said the donation will be turned over to the Bureau of Treasury and will be used to finance the government’s four-pillar strategy, including providing economic relief to the poor, and by providing resources to healthcare system, and protecting medical frontliners.
The government’s four-pillar strategy has a combined value of P1.49 trillion or about eight percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the expanded budgetary powers granted by the Congress to President Duterte has enabled government to formulate a four-pillar socioeconomic strategy to blunt the impact of COVID-19 on the Filipino people and the economy.
