97 NRCPO cops now SWAT officers

MANILA, Philippines—Ninety-seven lawmen from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) are now part of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team after graduating from an eight-week training course Wednesday morning, a police official said Thursday.

NCRPO chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said that 97 officers who started training last February 15 at the PNP School for Values and Leadership (PNP-SVL) at the Clark Special Economic Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga have now joined the ranks of the SWAT officers.

Bartolome said that the class was composed of officers from police districts all over Metro Manila: nine from the Northern Police District, 11 from the Eastern Police District, 11 from the Manila Police District, 11 from the Southern Police District, 11 from the Quezon City Police District, 22 from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) and another 22 from the Makati City Police Station. He said that five of these participants were Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) while 92 were Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs).

To Bartolome, the improved skills and capabilities of the law enforcers will be useful in their work assignments in their respective district police offices or city or municipal police stations.

The NCRPO chief stated that the SWAT training was standardized, ensuring inter-operability of various SWAT units from the regional, district, city and municipal police offices in Metro Manila.