MMDA starts martial arts training for field personnel

MANILA, Philippines - Instead of pushing its bid to arm traffic men, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started martial arts training for its field personnel.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the first batch of 50 traffic enforcers already started training yesterday.

They are to be trained in arnis or Filipino stick fighting, knife defense, and hand-to-hand combat under experts from the Pasay City-based Modern Arnis Mano-Mano-Filipino Martial Arts.

Tolentino stressed that his office started the training program not to encourage traffic constables to become arrogant and abusive but to help them defend themselves against attacks by motorists and even criminals.

“This is only for self-defense. At the same time, we want to show to the public that we can go to their aid and defend them in critical situations,” he said.

About 1,600 traffic constables will undergo three sessions of martial arts training for at least a month, he said.

They are to be taught how to disarm a knife-wielding attacker and how to fend off a punch or a slap. They will also be trained to deal with street criminals such as snatchers and robbers, Tolentino added.

He said after completing their arnis training, traffic men would be issued batons.

He, however, warned his men of severe sanctions should they use their newfound skills in abusing others.

Chief martial arts instructor Tony Nicolas said the training would impress on MMDA constables the importance of self-control and discipline.

He pointed out that self-defense is not meant to kill an attacker but to preserve life.

“Teaching them self-defense skills is not enough. It should sink into their minds that these skills are not something to brag about or to be used in bullying anyone,” he stressed.

Tolentino said the MMDA’s self-defense training program is an offshoot of the numerous incidents of traffic men being harassed and hurt by abusive and arrogant motorists, such as the recent case of Traffic Constable 2 Saturnino Fabros.

Fabros, who is among the first batch of trainees, was slapped and insulted by Phillip Morris employee Robert Blair Carabuena, whom he tried to apprehend for a traffic violation in Quezon City last month.