THE Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) will be forming additional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams to be deployed in Cebu.
Some 80 policemen will undergo training to compose the new SWAT teams.
Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, director of CPPO, said the training will cost around P2 million. The local government units of Danao City and Daanbantayan town promised to shoulder the training the expenses.
“The PNP has no money for this training so we approached local government units and they are willing to provide,” he said.
At least six SWAT teams had been deployed in congressional areas in Cebu island to respond to high-risk crime incidents such as hostage-takings.
Gillamac said continuous trainings are needed by CPPO’s SWAT personnel to keep up with the level of skills of their counterparts in highly urbanized cities like Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Gillamac said the province’s SWAT teams need improvement based on their performance in last month’s competition pitting SWAT teams around Cebu.