30 CCPO policemen undergo gun safety seminar
Following an alleged accidental firing that killed a police operative few weeks ago, Cebu City Police Office director Sr. Supt. Royina Garma yesterday conducted a gun safety seminar, which was attended by selected personnel from the 11 police stations in the city.
Garma said those who attended the seminar are required to reecho in their respective police station.
Police Community Relations chief, Chief Inspector Keith Andaya, said the seminar served as review and refresher for their personnel on how to handle their service firearm properly to avoid accident.
“It’s not sa ingon nga wala ka undergo og gun safety seminar atong mga polis, part mana sa training but to remind, to refresh their knowledge on firearms specially on handling these firearms,” said Andaya.
An operative from the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) was killed in what police officials in the region claimed to be an accidental firing.
Senior Police Officer 1 Roderick Balili was shot twice to the chest after a fellow policeman pass on to him his 9mm Glock pistol while conducting surveillance operation in Pinamungajan town.
“Naa gyud tay na accidental (firing) sauna way back before so mao na atong gi-activate nato ang gun safety seminar,” Andaya said.
“Part sa usa ka uniform sa polis is to carry his firearm as always, for safety purposes and then kahibawo siya mogamit sa iyang firearm at the same time malikay ang atong mga kapolisan sa accidental firing,” Andaya added.
Balili was shot at the same time an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was killed in an ambush in Carcar City. PDEA-7 agent Von Rian Tecson reported shot in the chest one of his assailants before the latter was rescued by his companions on board a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Meanwhile, all Drug Enforcement Unit personnel of CCPO were subjected to surprise drug test Wednesday evening. Andaya said the drug test was part of the ongoing internal cleansing of the PNP.
“Siyempre part mana sa atong ongoing or continuous kana atong cleansing ba, cleansing sa atong PNP ranks, so mao na from time to time ato gyud na gina-conductan og surprise drug testing ang atong mga kapolisan to see and for the public to know that police officers are clean,” said Andaya.
President Rodrigo Duterte, during his speech at the League of Municipalities Visayas Island Cluster Conference in Cebu City last August 21, said that all policemen in Cebu, including PDEA, are drug addicts.
“Usa sad na to show to the public nga dili addict ang atong mga kapolisan,” Andaya said.
He assured that those who will be tested positive of illegal drug use will be dealt with accordingly.