The Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde express willingness to cooperate with the Senate inquiry on the purchase of patrol vehicles.

“We are ready and willing to cooperate in any Senate investigation and we will provide with the necessary documents regarding the acquisition of Mahindra patrol vehicles,” he said on Friday.

Albayalde made his statement after Senator Grace Poe officially sought for a probe on purchase of PNP’s 1.89 billion pesos worth of Mahindra patrol vehicles.

Poe filed Senate Bill 777 on July 3, directing the Senate blue ribbon committee to conduct an inquiry on the acquisition of the vehicles.

The resolution of Poe noted the Commission on Audit’s report questioning the purchase of the vehicles in 2015.

“The COA report validates concerns raised way back in 2014, during which it was reported that the terms of reference for the purchase were modified to eliminate other bidders, and that Mahindra was not even qualified in the first place due to their lack of service centers,” Poe stated in her resolution.

“Public funds and resources ultimately belong to the people, and the government should thus be judicious in its use in order to avoid wastage. All forms of government misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance, especially with regard to government funds, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she added. Robina Asido/DMS