In Cebu, Sen. Lacson led the PNP Foundation Inc.’s turnover of mountain bikes and other equipment to the Police Regional Office 7. The mountain bikes would be useful for police work in beaches and parks where tourists are concentrated. Sen. Lacson, who chairs the PNPFI, is an Adopted Son of Cebu, having served as Commander of Cebu Metrodiscom from 1989 to 1992. Following is the text of his speech at the event.
Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, Police Brig. Gen. Agustin, Police Brig. Gen. Gillamac, the members of the Regional Staff and other officers and personnel present, my Senate staff as well as the PNP Foundation Inc. staff, my former comrades in the Cebu Metrodiscom in Metro Cebu, maayong buntag sa inyong tanan.
First of all, let me personally thank the officers and men of PRO-7 for the warm welcome that you have given me and my staff. Rest assured that I will always be a friend of the PNP in heart and spirit in whatever capacity, either as Chairman of the PNP Foundation Inc., or as an elected Senator of the Republic, especially in my role as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
For the past several years that I have been actively participating in the national budget deliberations, I always make sure the PNP will get the necessary budgetary requirements to more efficiently accomplish your mission.
I’d like to announce that for two successive years, 2018 and 2019, pag pinirmahan ng Presidente ang budget, your individual MOOE will again have an increase to adapt to the inflation. So you can expect your individual MOOE to be reflected in the 2019 budget.
The PNP Foundation was an idea, a concept if you will, that was put into action in 2000 when this representation was your Chief PNP. Grabbing the opportunity and taking advantage of an unprecedented high trust and approval from the public at that time, then Police Director Victor Batac assembled a small group of civic-minded leaders in their respective fields and formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the formal opening and commissioning of the PNP Foundation Inc., with the sole purpose of giving back to an organization that deserves all the support from the community that it swears to serve and protect.
The PNP Foundation is unique in itself in that its charter protects and preserves its corpus or seed money perpetually. Only the interest earnings and revenues derived from conservative and highly secure investments in bonds and stocks may be used to buy equipment and facilities for donation to its one and only beneficiary: the Philippine National Police.
It has become a reminder that the good deeds of the police may be appreciated in many ways, one of which is how the business community and our civic-spirited countrymen continue to respond positively to our call to keep the PNPFI relevant through their contributions, which is why the Foundation maintains a corpus of more than P181 million, and which has allowed us to donate to the PNP an aggregate total amount of P136.5 million from 2000 to 2019, involving 226 PNP unit beneficiaries as I speak to you today. This is actually the second time that the Foundation is donating to PRO-7.
I hope the mountain bikes can, even in a small way, help the recipient units contribute to your mission of maintaining peace and order through easy accessibility and visibility and more convenient reaction to calls for assistance from communities that need the same. These mountain bikes are distributed to some 18 municipalities and could be practical and useful in beaches and parks where tourists are concentrated, of which your area of responsibility is quite a place for such purpose.
I hope in our own little way, the PNPFI is able to give its share in helping the PNP, which will forever be part of my life.
Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at magandang umaga muli!
*****