FIFTY-ONE personnel of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) will undergo a 55-day Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) training.
Police Brigadier General R'win Pagkalinawan said the specialized training will be done to ensure that PRO-COR, particularly the BCPO, is ready to act on any situation the city may be confronted with.
"A Swat team is called when emergencies become too dangerous for regular police officers. They are trained in the use of powerful firearms and military tactics only used in very high risk situations," Pagkalinawan said.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong financed a Swat training for 51 organic members of the BCPO and PRO-COR to ensure personnel is capable to resolve any crisis.
"We are very lucky for BCPO's own Swat van with supporting equipment from the Baguio City Government and as regional director, I continued to procure optical equipment and scopes for the firearms of our specialized forces, including Swat coming from our savings and hopefully before I retire by May next year, I dream that all firearms of our mobile forces including Swat will have optics which is a requirement for easier acquirement of targets," Pagkalinawan said.
The 55-day specialized training course is designed to rapidly integrate new personnel to unit functions and operations, ensuring a highly professional, credible, capable and effective Swat.
The training also focuses on human rights, gender sensitivity and awareness, ethics and morals in the police service, performance governance system, team skills and mission planning.
"This training equips the participants with standard procedures in curtailing the build-up of treacherous acts, terrorism, hostage situations and other civil disturbance. Swat operations require in-depth knowledge and skills in order to stand abreast with the enemy, and further knowledge and honing of their skills will give them a step higher in terms of responding to such actions," Pagkalinawan added.
The City Government of Baguio, through Magalong, allotted P2 million for training course.