Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Cops get welcome break with sportsfest By Eva Marie Gamboa UP Mass Comm Intern
WHEN life gets too tough, everybody, including the stern-looking men in uniforms, is entitled to have some fun.
And fun, they will have
as the Philippine National Police (PNP) launched their week long inter-office basketball and tennis tournament yesterday at the Philippine Regional Office 7 (PRO7), giving the cops a chance to shake the dust off their sneakers and the cobwebs off their racquets.
Teams from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) Cebu Police Province Police Office (CPPO), Bohol Province Police Office (BPPO), Oriental Negros Police Office (ONPO), Siquijor Police Province Office (SPPO), Regional Mobile Group 7 and the National Support Units sent in their squads for the week-long contest.
After a brief opening program, the players were reminded in a speech that winning is always secondary to the love of the game.
A select group of officers also presented their skill in various types of self defense before the presentation of the muse—one of the most awaited segment of the opening ceremony—was started.
Muse
When the results were in, CCPO’s representative Dianne Montez, of the University of San Carlos, was hailed as this years’ muse.
Meanwhile, the sportsfest was a welcome relief to the participants and also served as a reunion of sorts for the others.
“We are very happy for this event since through this sports tourney, we get to see our old classmates from the academy. We also get to develop discipline and improve our physical condition,” said Senior Inspector Frederick Tecson, assistant coach of the CPPO and Chief of Police in Cordova.
Police Chief Inspector Louie Velasco, the head of the organizing committee said this was one way for the officers to help their physical conditioning and increase their camaraderie.
“Through competition, through sports, we can move as one,” she said.
The sports fest offered a break in the busy policemen’s paperwork and court appearances.
It enabled them to re-live their glory days in college when they still played ball.
“Para dili sad ma boring ang law enforcement life,” said SPO4 Marianito Bugtai’s, coach of the headquarters’ squad.
The inter office sports fest was also headed by PRO 7 Regional Director Ronaldo Roderos.
