PRO-7 CHIEF SAYS: Cops' shooting skills a priority

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Police Director Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo Jr. said yesterday that the PRO-7 is not neglecting the skills of its personnel, particularly in the efficient handling of firearms, especially in the aspect of shooting.

Garbo made the assurance amidst reports that “most police cannot shoot straight.”

The assurance also came after Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino, Philippine National Police Deputy Chief for Administration, said that policemen who cannot shoot properly might as well be given a “bolo” instead of a gun.

Garbo said he has ordered to prioritize training in proper handling of firearms among the 8,000 policemen in Central Visayas alongside the training on computer literacy this first quarter of 2012.

When policemen are trained properly and reach the required level of marksman, they can easily perform their duty safely without the threat of hurting civilians and even colleagues, Garbo said. 

To achieve this objective, the training program Standard Firearms Proficiently Training will include a “basic marksmanship course,” which Garbo said would be the best Back-to-Basic training program for the 8,000 policemen.

After the basic training, the policemen will then move on to a “classification stage” wherein they will be classified either as marksmen, expert shooter or a sharpshooter.

Aside from the classification aspect, all policemen would also be required to take a validation test every subsequent year to check the development of their shooting skills.

For his part, Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, chief of the intelligence branch of the Cebu City Police Office, said the city police office has lower percentage of policemen lacking efficient shooting skills.

He said policemen in the city are made to undergo firing tests every month at the headquarters purposely to enhance their shooting skills. The Cebu City government also supports the exercise by providing ammunition.

Supt. Teofilo Siclot, Deputy Provincial Director for Operation, said the shoot fest that policemen of the Cebu Provincial Police Office participate in help improve their shooting skills.

Siclot said they have recently started the activity at the 3rd District through the help of Cong. Pablo John Garcia. This will be undertaken next at the 2nd District.

Still, a high-ranking police officer who requested anonymity told The FREEMAN that there are many untrained policemen in the provinces and pointed out that those assigned in rural areas do not have the luxury of practicing their skills in a shooting range and do not have funds for their ammunition.   - (THE FREEMAN)