ANGELES CITY – Elite forces of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and Special Action Force (SAF) on Tuesday displayed operational readiness during a hostage crisis drill initiated by the Angeles City police.
During the drill, the police force showed how they handled the management of a crisis scenario in line with the Annual General Inspection (AGI) and Operational Readiness and Security Inspection Test (Orsite) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who witnessed the drill, vowed to assist the city police in acquiring sophisticated gadgets, which will be used by the Swat team in any situation like hostage crisis.
Senior Superintendent Danilo Bautista, city police director, gave the mayor list of armaments and equipment the Swat members' need.
These include sniper rifles, sub-machine guns, armour or bullet proof vests, gas masks, shields, night vision goggles and telescopes, diving equipment and gears, video camera, Swat vehicle, and others.
Pamintuan said "we should learn from the recent hostage taking drama at the Quirino Grandstand where eight foreigners and a hostage taker, a former policeman, were killed."
Both Pamintuan and Bautista said the safety of the hostages should always be considered in any crisis.
Bautista admitted there are some lapses in the management of the recent hostage taking incident in Manila.
The city police, he said, now conduct training for its men to avoid errors in handling situations.
Pamintuan lauded the city police for its effort to improve its operational readiness. (Reynaldo G. Navales)