By Aaron Recuenco The Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing to raise at least P200 million from voluntary contributions from its officers and rank-and-file members to augment the national government’s relief funds in aid of those adversely affected by the national health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa (PNP / MANILA BULLETIN) Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa, PNP Chief, said that the Team PNP’s Bayanihan Fund Challenge seeks to gather individual donations from the 205,000-strong uniformed police personnel and thousands of civilian employees. “We feel really blessed to be rewarded with all these benefits. We can only be too grateful to give back by way of our dedicated service and expression of compassion in reaching out to the poorest of poor who are hardest hit by the socio-economic impact of this crisis,” said Gamboa in a video message aired over the PNP’s official Facebook account. “We can afford to do this--now that we have already secured the means for our own personnel,” said Gamboa. So far, Gamboa said the project had already raised P34-million in cash and pledges collected from star rank officers of the PNP and their staff. The star rank officers of the PNP and their staff comprise 20 percent of the total PNP personnel strength. He said that four highest-ranking officials of the PNP and the heads of major offices of the PNP down to the regional director level have already committed 50 percent of their salary for the month of May. “I must emphasize that the Bayanihan Fund Challenge is strictly voluntary with no standard amount of contribution specified. The project does not authorize automatic salary deduction, or the use of funds sourced from PNP appropriations,” said Gamboa. “Men and women of the PNP, I know that individually, we have more than enough to spare for our government and our people in their direst need. I believe this is not too much our country can ask from us and to which we are willing to give,” said Gamboa. “More than our services, this is our golden opportunity to selflessly share, provide social and moral support and economic relief to our fellow Filipinos who belong to the poorest of the poor,” he added.