Police eye own ‘Balikatan exercises’
By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:53:00 01/05/2009
Filed Under: Police, Defense, Security (general), Politics, Foreign affairs & international relations
MANILA, Philippines -- The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing its own Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises with the United States as part of its internal security operations against terrorism, Director General Jesus Verzosa said on Monday.
The PNP’s Balikatan is set sometime in March this year, Verzosa said. The exercise will focus on “training trainers” and teaching police groups skills, including counter-insurgency, intelligence gathering, and anti-criminality operations.
Two police groups who will participate in the exercises will be the elite Special Action Force (SAF) and the Regional Mobile Group (RMG), Verzosa said.
“This will be in relation to the ongoing doctrine being implemented by joint forces of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and their foreign counterparts. Also in intelligence gathering, counter terrorism, all aspects of policy will eventually lead to efficient implementation of our counter-insurgency program,” Verzosa said.
Details of the police Balikatan are still being finalized as of this time, he added.
Under the military agreement, the Balikatan is a joint exercise between Philippine and US soldiers that aims to improve combat readiness by both parties and enhance security relations between the two countries.
Several groups have been protesting the presence of US troops in the country.
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