PNP fielding 3,000 cops to break Guinness mark

MANILA, Philippines - Three thousand members of the police force have been practicing their swimming strokes in hopes of improving their personal best to help break the Guinness record for a 24-marathon relay swim in the Great Philippine Peace and Unity Swim set Dec. 10-11 at the Diliman Preparatory School in Fairview, Quezon City.

Col. Benjamin Magalong said members of the national police are training in earnest at the Camp Crame pool as the seven-day countdown for the epic run, an attempt to break the record in an 18.l3-meter pool by 5,028 swimmers in Italy last July, starts.

The DPS, under president and chief executive officer, former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, is entering the second biggest batch of swimmers, about 2,000 students, while the Center for Community Transformation in Tagaytay and Laguna is fielding over 1,000 street children under its care.

Other organizations joining the swim for-a-cause, endorsed by President Noynoy Aquino, are the Philippine Sports Commission, B-Meg Derby Ace basketball club, Department of Health, Department of Education, civic organizations as well as private and government firms, professionals, executives and employees.

Coseteng said anybody who can swim in an 18.3-meter pool without support is invited to join.

“This is a national undertaking. Let’s join this event in the spirit of unity and let’s all break the record,” said Coseteng.

At the Camp Crame pool, members of PNP Dragon Boat averaged 9 seconds swimming the span of the 18.3m pool.

Supt. Gen. Benjardi Mantele, chief of the Quezon City Police District Police, spearheaded the participation of policemen with the assistance of PSSupt.Magalong and PSupt. Lino Banaag.

Col. Magalong said PNP will continue to practice at Camp Crame pool to pick up more speed and is recruiting more participants through Supt. Lino Banaag.

“There is no limit to the number of participants and we don’t mind going beyond the 24 hours,” said Susan Papa, chief organizer of the event. “We will be happy to be the first country to do such thing anywhere in the world.”

To register: Log on to Pinoy Swim.com