NCRPO cops to undergo investigation, SWAT training

MANILA, Philippines - The 17,000-strong National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will undergo training programs in investigation, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and the Special Counter-Insurgency Operation Unit Training (SCOUT) this year, an official said yesterday.

“What we noticed is that when policemen lack training, they usually commit lapses while performing the assigned tasks. So we decided to embark on massive training to make us properly prepared to react to a given situation,” said NCRPO chief Director Alan Purisima.

The lack of training by the Manila Police District’s SWAT unit led to the fiasco at the Luneta Grandstand in which eight Hong Kong tourists and the former policeman who took them hostage were killed. Purisima hopes that with more training, the incident would not be repeated. 

The NCRPO started training its personnel in investigation last year but Purisima wanted more training courses this year. He said he will ask the Philippine National Police leadership for the budget required for the NCRPO’s training programs.