Bato dela Rosa says CAFGU must train military personnel on rules of engagement
Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Friday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), specifically the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU), should conduct their training on the rules on engagement for military personnel.
Dela Rosa made the statement after a video of a CAFGU auxiliary member who shot two people, a father and his son, in Negros Occidental made rounds.
“Tanungin ko siguro ‘yung Armed Forces, particularly ‘yung Philippine Army unit handling the CAFGU kung pwede ba nilang isama sa training nila ‘yung rules and procedure pagdating sa confronting ‘yung mga amok, para ma-improve ‘yung kanilang response sa gano’ng klaseng sitwasyon. Hindi ‘yung baril ng baril lang kaagad. At tsaka ‘yung hindi dapat barilin, idadamay pa, binabaril pa. So dapat matuto sila,” dela Rosa said.
(Let me ask the Armed Forces, particularly the Philippine Army unit handling the CAFGU if they can include in their training how to confront those who will be suddenly violent, to improve their response in those kinds of situations. They should not use their guns immediately, and those who are not supposed to be shot are caught. They must learn.)
According to the CAFGU auxiliary member, the victims threatened him with a bolo, or a large knife. However, Dela Rosa said that under Police Operational Procedure, the victims should have been given a warning shot, and that the shooting of the father who was no threat was unjustified.
“Ang ‘di niya ma-justify doon ‘yung pagbaril niya doon sa tatay na lumapit lang ‘yung tatay, wala namang threat, wala namang kutsilyo ang tatay, ‘di ba? Bakit niya pa pinatay ‘yung tatay, dinamay pa niya? ‘Yun ang talagang unjustified,”
(What cannot be justified is his shooting of the father, the father only went near, there was no threat, the father had no knife, right? Why did he have to shoot the father? That was indeed unjustified.)
