No SWAT unit in Caraga region — police official

CAMP RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City – Newly installed Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo Serrano Rafal admitted on Thursday there is no Special Weapons and Tactics team in Caraga region and vowed to create one. In a press conference after he was sworn into office, Rafal also explained the importance of creating a SWAT unit, citing lessons learned from the bungled Manila hostage crisis on August 23. A former Director for Philippine National Police (PNP) Logistics and Supply Office in Camp Crame, Rafal claimed one of his priority projects for Caraga Police Regional Office was for retooling and retraining of all smaller police units in the region “We also have to increase competence and upgrade skills and capabilities of our policemen in different municipal police stations in the region as this is one of the components of the Integrated Transformation program of the PNP," Rafal said. Rafal added that under directives of the new PNP Chief Deputy Director General Raul Bacalzo, policemen in the field are expected to deliver good service to the people and to be courteous always. He said that aside from the creation of a SWAT team, there is also a need to form and train a crisis management unit that will handle conflict management analysis, crowd dispersal system, and deal with the media. Rafal cited the successful handling of two hostage-taking incidents in the region under the previous police administration. But critics claimed that while it is true that all hostages in two hostage incidents cited by Rafal were released, authorities allegedly used “trickery," promising hostage-takers they will not be charged and all criminal cases they faced would be dropped. They also claimed that after releasing all hostages, the hostage-takers were arrested, and all promises made through an official agreement signed by top police, military and civilian officials were not followed. But authorities claimed the releases of hostages, most of them children, in the two incidents that happened last year In Sibagat and Prosperidad towns in Agusan del Sur, were their shining accomplishments. Critics disputed the claim, saying tricking hostage-takers would set a bad precedent and the next time such incidents happen the suspects would not believe negotiators anymore. — Ben Serrano/LBG, GMANews.TV