The Commission on Audit just delivered a punishing combination to the Philippine National Police, flagging more than โฑ2 billion in delayed infrastructure projectsโincluding the flagship new headquarters building in Camp Crame that was supposed to break ground last year but never even made it past bidding.
In its 2024 annual audit report, COA revealed that no contract was awarded for the Camp Crame project despite a โฑ1-billion allocation for Phase 1 and a multiyear authority outlining a โฑ2.59-billion total budget through 2027. Auditors said the PNPโs own paperwork lapses, procurement missteps, and slow processing โdeviated from the planned implementation,โ effectively stalling the entire multi-phase project before it even started.
The agencyโs sting didnโt stop there. COA also flagged the Quezon Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecijaโone of nine PRO-3 infrastructure projectsโas having zero progress for the year. The first bidding failed after contractors lacked proper certification for skilled workers like carpenters and masons. With the โฑ10.5 million earmarked for 2024 set to revert to the national treasury, COA warned the projectโs target completion date โwill not be attained as planned,โ citing poor planning and delayed procurement execution.
Meanwhile, an annex building for the Northern Police District has been stuck in construction limbo for over four years. Originally scheduled for completion in September 2021, the โฑ26.2-million project suffered delay after delayโfrom material delivery issues to holiday slowdowns to typhoon impactsโyet still remained unfinished by the end of 2024. Liquidated damages worth โฑ557,460 were imposed, though only for a portion of the overrun period.
The PNP, in response, said it has formed a technical working group to redo the terms of reference for the Crame headquarters project and prevent further bidding failures. For the Nueva Ecija station, it said work has โstartedโ following a notice to proceed issued in May.
But for COA, the message is clear: the police forceโs infrastructure plans are on the ropesโand unless they fix their procurement game, more rounds like this are coming