ICPO welcomes conversion of police cars into auto-LPG but...
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga welcomes the plan of the city government to convert the vehicles it issued to ICPO into auto-LPG.
Barayuga said it is a good development because the budget allocated by the city for the gasoline needs of the police is not enough to cover their fuel needs.
The city provides at least P90,000 a year for the gasoline of the city's police vehicles.
Barayuga however said the city government should shoulder the expenses for the conversion of the vehicles. The police have no budget to cover whatever expenditures that may be incurred for the conversion of all city issued police vehicles.
Earlier, a representative from the Department of Energy estimated that the conversion kit ranges from P30,000 up. Latest record from the supply section of the city police showed that the city government has already issued 85 police vehicles since its existence. It was not immediately known on how many of the vehicles are still in running condition.
The latest police patrol cars issued by the city government to the police include four Toyota Vios and a SWAT vehicle. The gasoline allocation provided by the city to the different police stations varies depending on the size of the area.
The ICPO headquarters has an annual allocation of P105,000; Iloilo City Mobile Group P105,000; police precinct 1 (city proper) P125,000; police precinct 3 (Jaro) P115,000 and police precinct 4 (Molo); police precinct 5 (Lapaz) and police precinct 6 (Arevalo) with P95,000 each.
The allocation is divided every quarter. Roughly, each patrol car use 10 liters a day to conduct series of rounds as crime mitigating measures. The patrol cars must be visible on the streets 24 hours, said Barayuga.
It is estimated that the city will save 30 to 50 percent of its expenditures for the proposed conversion not only of the police vehicles but of the entire city government issued vehicles. The city hopes to convert some 200 vehicles.
Initially, the vehicles issued to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and City Engineers Office are among the vehicles that are considered in the list for the conversion plan.