Ilocos Cops Gear Up to Counter Terrorism

In strategic partnership with Civil Relations Service (CRS) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), AFP Civil-Military Operations School and Media and Civil Affairs Group CRS AFP, and 1st Civil Relations Group CRS AFP, the PNP’s Regional Public Safety Battalion 1 (RPSB 1) conducted a Community Engagement and Information Support Affairs training at the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO 1) at Camp Oscar Florendo in San Fernando, La Union.

December 11, 2014, San Fernando, La Union – As 2014 closes and the military slowly shifts to external defense, the Philipine National Police (PNP) is set to take greater Internal Security Operations (ISO) responsibility and accountability.

The big question – “Is the PNP prepared to take on a bigger role in counter-insurgency?”

In strategic partnership with Civil Relations Service (CRS) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), AFP Civil-Military Operations School and Media and Civil Affairs Group CRS AFP, and 1st Civil Relations Group CRS AFP, the PNP’s Regional Public Safety Battalion 1 (RPSB 1) conducted a Community Engagement and Information Support Affairs training at the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO 1) at Camp Oscar Florendo in San Fernando, La Union.

This capacity building activity for police officers in Region 1 aims to be a model for harnessing PNP-AFP collaboration towards smooth and effective transition.

The 50 trainees comprising the officers and leaders of RPSB and Provincial Public Safety Companies (PPSC) in Region 1 were oriented on the endgame required to finally resolve the communist banditry in the country.

The participants were given instructions and skills-training on engaging stakeholders and undertaking counterpropaganda operations against the communists terrorists’ enslaving control and deception.

What’s new in this training is the emphasis on competence.

“Competencies are observable abilities, skills, knowledge, motivations or traits defined in terms of behaviors needed for successful job performance. The three elements of ISO readiness are deemed essential to assure the effectiveness of public safety forces as counter-insurgency agents.

“First is performance through service delivery and tactical skills.  The police must be able to perform the basic services of law enforcement and crime prevention. Tactical skills consists of basic combat, troop leading procedures, intelligence, investigation, and self-protection that includes the ability to escape when captured or detained by the enemy.

“Second, partnering or people skills are essentially expertise in community organizing, which consists of social investigation, communication and counter-propaganda and criticism and self-criticism.

“Third, personal effectiveness or accountability, which is all about self-management/regulation, police ethics and living up to the PNP core values- pulis na maka Diyos (regardless of religion, he believes in a Higher Being or a God), makabayan (patriotic), makatao (humane) at makakalikasan (pro-environment).

Finally, what’s innovative in this capacity building even is the cross-training. The AFP and PNP officers shared best practices and lessons learned in the field.  It was a no holds-barred cross-fertilization with an objective of learning from past mistakes and embarking on more creative and resourceful means of rescuing the people from the deception of the enemy.

In his closing address, Police Chief Superintendent Roman A. Felix, Regional Director PRO 1 challenged to the police officers, “countering communists terrorism is not just the job of the AFP.  Whether lead or support, the police has a critical role in the fight.  For the NPA bandits have accumulated a long list of criminal offense, murder, extortion, arson, Violence Against Women and Children, among others.”

“Remember, the police do not live in co-existence with criminals. The way to win over insurgency is through competent law enforcement.  This is the best communications message to convince the people that that the PNP is here to provide protection against terrorist organizations like the NPA.”

Felix further challenged the officers that as leaders of the PNP intensified counter-terrorism campaign, the endgame is really up to them.  He emphasized that the loss of life and limbs are not necessary. For the PNP, the way we can win against insurgency is by winning hearts and minds of the people, and that is through the effective community engagement of one competent and disciplined policeman, one day at a time. “Do your job and do it well. Win the people and win the war,” he concluded.