527 cops to immerse in rebel-influenced areas

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Hundreds of policemen were officially sent to immerse in identified New People’s Army (NPA)-infested areas in the provinces of Iloilo and Antique.

But the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) did not identify the specific deployment areas of the 527 rookie cops.

Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson, said that the officers will undergo 45-day community immersion.

“Basically, they would do community relations activities,” Malong said.

The community immersion is part of their anti-insurgency training.

The 527 police officers have just finished the first phase of the Basic Internal Security Operations Course (BISOC) at the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company in Sara, Iloilo. The 60-day training was the first phase of their BISOC training.

Brigadier General Bernard Banac, director of the PNP Training School, was the guest of honor during the send-off ceremony on February 18 at the PRO-6 headquarters at Camp Delgado, Iloilo City.

The training is important in providing the fight mindset and instinct, indoctrination, discipline and character, individual and unit skills, and knowledge to newly recruited cops.

These skills and competence are needed when conducting internal security operations or ISOs.

BISOC training is seen to further lay down among neophyte policemen the concept of small unit operations, the standard operating procedures, tactics, and techniques and procedures for operation, especially in the areas of counter insurgency.

Aside from the send-off ceremony, Thursday’s event also saw the opening of BISOC classes for another batch of 323 police officers.

99 police officers also finished their six-month Field Training Program (FTP), which will qualify them for permanency.

The Regional Special Training Unit 6 (RSTU-6) administers the trainings.