MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) spent over P784.9 million ($16.67 million) to secure economic leaders, senior ministers and officials, and technical experts from all over the region during the country's year-long Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) chairmanship.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said the amount was released by the PNP’s Directorate for Comptrollership directly to police units and officers under the APEC Security Task Force, which was led by PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez.
The breakdown of the PNP’s expenditures, spent from December 2014 to November 2015, are as follows:
- Meals - P534,468,408.07 ($11.35 million)
- Petroleum oil lubricant - P40,998,341.50 ($870,555)
- Billeting - P82,024,855.50 ($1.74 million)
- Other rentals - P55,764,352.00 ($1.184 million)
- Communications - P13,654,329.50 ($289,917)
- Office supplies - P7,468,880.00 ($158,584)
- Other supplies - P33,662,107.34 ($714,629)
- Travel - P16,860,461.50 ($357,934)
In a text message, Mayor said the expenses covered at least 39 meetings beginning December 2014 until November 2015, when the APEC CEO Summit and the culminating event, the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, were held in Metro Manila. (READ: Where APEC cops eat, sleep, live)
World leaders, including US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, were in the Philippines for last week's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
At least 28,000 police personnel were deployed for the APEC summit, including at least 10,000 police to manage mass protest actions.
Police from all over the Philippines – from the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas – were tapped to secure more than 10,000 delegates from all over the world.– Rappler.com
US$ = P47