TABUK CITY, Kalinga, July 28 -— The Matagoan City in the Cordillera has formed its Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team and the members are currently undergoing 45 days of rigid training.
Police Senior Superintendent Brent Madjaco, Provincial Director of Kalinga Police Provincial Office, on Thursday said that 50 members of Tabuk City police and Kalinga provincial police are now in the process of completing the SWAT course. Once they graduate, they will be assigned to special peace and order operations in the city.
Madjaco said that advanced and extensive training on firearms proficiency, close quarter battle and all other skills necessary to prepare them for special operations including skills on dealing with classified crimes and counter terrorism are being conducted at Camp Duyan, here.
Madjaco said the program to create the SWAT team was an initiative of the city government, which they are also funding.
“Tabuk LGU has already released Php500,000 as an initial budget to finance the ongoing 45-day training,” said Madjaco, adding that part of the fund was used to buy bulletproof vest.
After completion of the training in September, two teams, composed of 16 members will be deployed in Tabuk City while the rest will remain with the Provincial Police Office to serve as quick reaction team for the other municipalities in the province in cases where eventualities that need the SWAT’s expertise arise.
“The creation of a SWAT in a particular place like Tabuk City is necessary especially with the development and investments of big companies coming in,” Madjaco said. “Like Baguio City, there is a need for the establishment of a SWAT here in Tabuk City in order for these business owners to feel more secured to encourage others to also invest in the city,” triggering the officials to propose the establishment of SWAT in the city to safeguard the growing community of the province.
Madjaco added that the local government believes that with the inevitable development going on in the city, there is a possibility that crimes will also increase and with the SWAT together with the local police force, everything is expected to work out just fine.
Madjaco relayed that the Tabuk SWAT team will also be a great help to Provincial Police Office who can already concentrate on the rural areas and the other municipal while members of the SWAT will take care of crimes happening within the city of Tabuk. They can also extend their expertise to all municipalities in Province of Kalinga especially that the whole province is under red alert because of insurgency issue.
Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Melvin Hortelano, Team Leader of the training Staff said that on August 27, the trainees did a drill and presentation which was witnessed by officials of the province and the different agencies at Camp Duyan.
“The 45-days training is not enough to complete the course for a SWAT schooling, there’s a possibility for us to request additional training period to cover the entire training and simulation for the trainees” said Hortelano. **Jesse Magguiya/PNA
