CPPO PD’s Cup shootfest a huge success

CEBU, Philippines - It's the first and definitely won't be the last.

The inaugural staging of the P/SSupt. Patrocinio A. Comendador, Jr. Shoofest 2012 billed as the "CPPO PD's Cup" ended up in overwhelming success with at least 700 shooters taking part in the three-day joust held last December 7-9 at the Cebu Pistol and Rifle Association (CPRA) Firing Range in Brgy. Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City.

“All the effort was worth it and I would like to thank everybody for their support in this year’s most attended shooting event organized by the CPPO. Despite that there was a Pacquiao fight on the final day of competition, everybody still participated," said Comendador. "Most of all, the good thing is nobody was hurt and that’s the best part of it.”

Though the participants showed off their shooting proficiency on a highly competitive level, Comendador said the main objective of the tournament is not about winning, but about the survival of every policeman in the battlefield.

“For this event, winning should not be our primary objective but the survival of our police officers. We compete, we fire because there in the field we want to survive,” he said during the awarding ceremony last Monday night at the CPPO Headquarters in Sudlon, Brgy. Lahug, this city.

Inspired by its success, Comendador said they are bent on making it a yearly event, even as they also plan to construct a firing range of their own to further sharpen the marksmanship of their personnel.

“We will be holding this event yearly so we can improve and enhance the shooting skills of our police officers. We also would like to construct a firing range and hopefully next year, if God permits, we will be standing again in front of everybody with another set of winners,” Comendador said.

The shootfest, which was an International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Level I sanctioned match,  drew over 500 policemen from the different municipal police stations in Cebu that competed against a hundred civilian marksmen.

Junior shooters from Team M. Lhuillier-One Cebu in Martin Belarmino, Kevin Cortes, and Jay Anthony Yulo stamped their respective classes.

Belarmino emerged as the overall champion in the production division followed by P/Insp. Keith Andaya and Dionisio Baylosis from the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of CPPO.

Cortes lorded it over in the standard division, while police officers Arestil Famor and Christopher Panis placed second and third, respectively.

Yulo, on the other hand, topped the open division, with Cesar Ting and Tse Man Lai of Hong Kong occupying the next two spots.

CCPO SWAT member Lyndon Solatorio bagged the champion's trophy in the classic division. Troy John Palomaria came out second, while Dean Mark Maglinti of Danao PNP took the third place.

Miguel Osmeña, son of Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña, stole part of the show by winning rifle  civilian open category.— with EBV (FREEMAN)