Inter-operability confab pushed

Iblame “the fog of war” for the tragic June 25 friendly fire incident in Sta. Rita, Samar that killed six police officers and wounded nine others. Sadly, we still have hostilities in the countryside. And where there’s warfare, there’s always the peril of confusion on the ground.

Without prejudging the outcome of the inquiry into the incident, we are prepared to accept it as a case of friendly fire due to misidentification. Our hearts go out to the bereaved families of the officers lost, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

To lessen the hazards of friendly fire, I suggest the holding of a top-level “interoperability conference” between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police ((PNP).

We have to enable our soldiers and police officers to effectively and safely operate with each other on the ground, especially in strife-torn provinces where we may have several forces constantly on the move.

The AFP and the PNP should build up their ability to train, exercise and conduct missions in conjunction with each other. We have to avoid future cases of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

An improved force interoperability on the ground would also enable police and military units to quickly seek reinforcement from each other after obtaining clearance from their respective headquarters.

In the Sta. Rita misencounter, 33 officers belonging to the PNP’s 805th Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 were attacked by mistake by 17 soldiers from the Philippine Army’s Charlie Company, 87th Infantry Battalion. Neither force was aware the other would be operating in the same area.

Meanwhile, I am a proponent of a bill seeking to revive the Philippine Constabulary (PC), with the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF) as the initial batch of officers, for the purpose of suppressing domestic security threats, mainly insurgency and terrorism.

As proposed, once the PC is reestablished, the PNP would concentrate on addressing ordinary crimes against persons and property while the AFP would focus on preparing against potential foreign aggression. --Rep. Johnny T. Pimentel, Second District, Surigao del Sur

Picture-taking in Dumpit’s wake

Polire Regional Office (PRO) 7 Chief Debold Sinas must be very angry at the slain SPO1 Adonis Dumpit because he does not want even Dumpit’s fellow policemenn to visit his wake.

Why would he want to take pictures of policemen who want to go to the wake? While it is true that policemen whould not be afraid of their pictures being taken, but why do it?

The impression given by such a practice is that those who visit Dumpit’s wake are suspicious people because usually only suspicious people are being subjected to it.

If I am a policeman, why would I go to the wake if in the process I become a suspect? --Tirso Deloy