Dellosa mulls training Special Forces personnel as technical divers

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa has ordered the Army to study the possibility of training Special Forces personnel to be technical divers in the wake of the crash off Masbate that claimed the lives of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two pilots.

Capt. Jerry Jaucian, diving team leader of the Special Forces Regiment, said the directive was aimed at enhancing the rescue capabilities of soldiers.

“(The Army chief and Armed Forces chief) will discuss the proposal and will determine if it is sustainable,” Jaucian told The STAR in a phone interview yesterday.

The military will still thresh out the details of the proposal. A team of about four to 12 Army personnel may be dedicated to the endeavor.

Jaucian said among the things to be considered are the needed equipment and the personnel who would undergo training.

“If this pushes through, it would increase the number of personnel who can conduct rescue and retrieval operations,” he said in Filipino.

Technical divers can dive to depths of more than 150 feet. Unlike other divers who use compressed air and can dive up to about 130 feet, a technical diver uses tri-mix composed of nitrogen, oxygen and helium gases.

A technical diver needs equipment that would sustain him under water.

Jaucian said the training of Special Forces troops to become technical divers can benefit the public as the lessons can be used during rescue operations.

The Navy only has seven technical divers. Foreign divers and volunteers from the private sector augmented the Navy divers who searched for the bodies of Robredo and pilots Jessup Bahinting and Kshitiz Chand in Masbate.

Meanwhile, President Aquino has ordered the defense department to determine the rescue equipment needed by the military.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has been tasked to assess the needs of the rescue and retrieval teams and to enumerate what needs to be enhanced or upgraded.

Passage of bill sought

Sen. Edgardo Angara called yesterday for the passage of the bill revising the Armed Forces Modernization Act after lack of enough equipment and training was highlighted during the search and rescue operations for Robredo.

Angara noted the team that first responded to the crash site was not able to continue search operations come evening because they did not have adequate equipment for night rescue.

Also, the Navy helicopter engaged in the search and retrieval operations had to make a precautionary landing.

“We have always had great need for equipment like air transport, radar surveillance, and sonars,” Angara said.

“That is why we filed the (bill amending the) AFP Modernization Act to modernize military infrastructure and equipment to boost the capabilities of the Armed Forces, especially in times of emergency and crisis,” he said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Vicente Sotto III and Gregorio Honasan are pushing for the government to get a new fleet of air assets for the President and Cabinet officials.

Once passed, Angara said the measure will ensure larger appropriation for the AFP Modernization Trust Fund.

“This means that more funds can be used to purchase more quality equipment, especially for emergency response,” Angara said.

Angara noted that President Aquino had mentioned in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) the need to boost the equipment of the military.

“If the Revised AFP Modernization Act will be enacted, as much as P77 billion will be allocated for modernization over the next five years,” he said. – With Christina Mendez