Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Rookie policemen leave Cebu; 150 recruits get new postings
WHILE the previous batch of police trainees left Cebu yesterday, some 150 recruits who recently graduated from the Regional Training School (RTS) will be fielded throughout Central Visayas as part of their field training.
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 band gave the departing trainees a “proper farewell” as they boarded the ship that will take them home to their units.
The PRO 7 also gave them packed dinners so they wouldn’t have to spend on meals during their voyage.
Senior Supt. Vicente Loot earlier promised them a sendoff after he thanked them for their participation in the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.
He also gave them a “well-deserved” break so they could enjoy the Sinulog Festival.
Assignment
Meanwhile, Police Deputy Regional Director for Administration Ronald Roderos told Sun.Star Cebu that the new RTS graduates barely had time to rest because they were immediately assigned to the streets for the Asean summit and the Sinulog Grand Parade last Sunday.
“We will be giving them an academic break and then they can start with their six-month field training program,” Roderos said.
He explained that after a six-month basic police training course, all recruits go through a six-month field-training program (FTP) before proceeding to scout training at the Regional Mobile Group.
They will undergo basic police functions, such as traffic control and investigation.
However, Roderos said regular police officers should not rely on field trainees to do their job.
“They should operate as if there were no FTPs assigned to them,” he said.
Roderos said the presence of field trainees should be treated as a “bonus” for each police station.
Before they left, some 100 field trainees from the previous batch had a chance to meet with Cebu City Police Office Director Patronicio Comendador at the Cebu City condominium, where the police official thanked them for their support.
The 100 field trainees, who were from the Western Mindanao Police Regional Office, included PO1 MC Stuart Balang.
Balang was placed under investigation for driving a City-issued Innova van and hitting a parked taxicab after senior officer PO2 Junicar Estiñoso ordered him to drive it back while he (Estiñoso) stayed at the Queensland Motel.
Balang was made to pay for the damage incurred by the van and the taxicab. His testimony was also used in the administrative case against Estiñoso. (MEA)
