CAMP DANGWA, Benguet – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Thursday, Feb. 16, said they are ready to secure workers in critical areas to ensure government infrastructure projects are uninterrupted.

“We are offering the services of the police for the security of DPWH contractors and workers to ensure that government infrastructure projects will not be delayed. We know that there are areas where there are problems with projects, particularly road projects, so we should protect them for the development of our country," Azurin told the Department of Public Works and Highways in a message during the inauguration and turnover of the newly constructed forensics building here.

Azurin’s offer to the DPWH is in gratitude for their support to the PNP in terms of infrastructure like the new building.

He highlighted the situation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) where DPWH has pending infrastructure projects due to harassment and intimidation of workers.

"This is one of our concerns in BARMM, so I told the DPWH there that especially in critical areas to inform us immediately so that our police can watch over it so that the project can be done inch by inch so that the people will not be harassed workers.”

DPWH-Cordillera Regional Director Khadaffy Tanggol officially turned over the P40-million, state-of-the-art four-story building of the regional forensics group that stands on a 240-square meter land inside the Police Regional Office-Cordillera here.

The building is the only PNP structure that has an elevator.

Azurin added that the construction of roads brings development to an area and if there is development, there will be tourists and investors who will bring capital to create jobs and opportunities.

The PNP chief said that for the police to help in the achievement of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., it needs to assure that the community will feel safe and secure.

To avoid delay in development, all agencies in the government and the different sectors must work together and the PNP’s role is to provide safety and security in a place, Azurin said.

With development, people do not need to relocate outside their provinces with the government able to easily program, place, and implement development projects, he added.

Azurin said the new building was made possible thru the “Tatag ng Imprastraktura para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad’’ (TIKaS) convergence program of the DPWH and the PNP that started in the administration of President Duterte.

Azurin said the PNP is only allotted P100 million a year for the repair and construction of municipal police buildings and the convergence is fast-tracking the PNP’s aim to provide convenient and spacious working spaces for the policemen that provide a higher enthusiasm to extend better services for the people. (With a report from PNA)