PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III will implement a “very strict” firearms proficiency and efficiency policy among police officers.
In an interview with reporters during the sidelines of the 3rd PNP Press Corps invitational Shootfest in Camp Karingal in Quezon City, Torre raised the importance of marksmanship among cops.
“Proficiency and efficiency in the use of firearms, very, very important yan sapagkat buhay ang nakataya rito. Kapag ginamit mo at hindi mo alam kung paano gamitin, paano ang intended target, hindi mo tamaan at ang tatamaan ay inosenteng tao, ayaw natin nun,” Torre said.
(Proficiency and efficiency in the use of firearms is very, very important because lives are at stake. If you use it without knowing how, and you miss your intended target and end up hitting an innocent person, we don’t want that to happen.)
“Seriously speaking, hindi acceptable na ang pulis ay hindi marunong gumamit ng baril, kaya pagdating sa classification standards at hindi siya pumasa, kasama sa regulations, ire-recall ang kanyang baril na inissue at siya ay mag-undergo ng training,” he added.
(Seriously speaking, it's unacceptable for a police officer not to know how to use a firearm. That’s why, when it comes to classification standards and they fail to meet them, it's part of the regulations that their issued firearm will be recalled and they will have to undergo training.)
Torre said firearms proficiency and efficiency is also among the basis and requirements for promotion.
“Hindi lang sa promotion, pati sa positioning. Kapag tinest sila at bagsak sila sa marksmanship, aba’y tatanggalin ko ang mga commanders na hindi makakapasa sa ating proficiency testing,” Torre said.
The top cop said he signed a contract last week for the procurement of bullets, which will help cops in their marksmanship training. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)