Elite strike force needs proper equipment, training - Navy

By Alexis Romero
The Philippine Star, August 30, 2010

The Navy believes a strike force to break a hostage crisis
would require adequate equipment and training of troops.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said elite units must
be reconstituted since most of them have been assigned to
conflict-infested areas.

“We have ordered the commanders of our elite Navy Special
Operations Group and Marine Force Reconnaissance to conduct
an inventory of our men and equipment,” he said.

Arevalo said retooling is also important since the military
does not have all the needed equipment and high-powered weapons.

“At present, we do not have suitable high-powered but shorter
automatic weapons, masks, and night fighting systems, among
other state of the art weaponry and equipment they need,” he said.

Arevalo said special forces must also undergo refresher training
to ensure that they can operate in urban areas.

“Our Seal Teams and Force Recon Marines have all been trained
for commando-type operations,” he said.

“However, their present deployments are in combat operations against
the terrorists holed in the jungles of Basilan and Sulu.

“They need to brush up their skills and tactics to reintroduce
them to urban counterterrorist actions.”

Arevalo said the Navy’s elite forces should also undergo train with
the police so they would become a cohesive fighting force.

“We just need some time for training before they can gel and be a
potent anti-terrorist strike force deployable anywhere in the
country at a moment’s notice,” he said.

President Aquino has proposed the creation of an elite task force
of military and police following the bloody hostage crisis in Manila
last week.

P1 M HALAGA NG TROSO NASABAT

Ni Edwin Balasa
Abante, Thursday, August 26, 2010

Umaabot sa P1 mil­yong halaga ng iba’t ibang uri ng troso ang
nasabat ng mga tauhan ng Philippine Navy sa ginawang magkasunod
na operasyon sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon at Quezon.


Ayon kay Ensign Denver Ramon, tagapagsalita ng Naval Forces
Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL), nakuha nila ang iba’t ibang uri
ng kahoy sa dalawang lalawigan kamakalawa subalit wala silang
nadakip na mga suspek matapos na makatunog ang mga ito sa
operasyon.


Unang nasabat ng mga tauhan ng Philippine Navy ang mga kahoy sa
bayan ng Balogo sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon at agad na sinunod ang
kanilang operasyon sa Real, Quezon.


Nabatid na isang tip ang kanilang natanggap mula sa mga concerned
citizen na mayroon umanong ibibyaheng ile­gal na troso sa nasabing
lalawigan kaya agad na nakipag-ugnayan ang mga operatiba sa
Community Environmental Resources Office upang isagawa ang
operasyon.


Subalit wala ng inabot na mga suspek ang awtoridad nang isagawa
ang raid kaya posible umanong nakatanggap na rin ng tip ang mga ito
sa gagawing pagharang sa kanila kaya iniwan na lang ang mga kahoy
at nagsitakas na ang mga ito.


Dinala ang mga nakumpiskang troso sa tanggapan ng Department of
Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) habang patuloy na
nagsasagawa ng follow-up operation ang awtoridad sa posibleng
pagdakip sa mga suspek.

Photo by Rudy Santos
The Philippine Star, August 26, 2010


Philippine Navy honor guards escort the coffins of eight slain
Hong Kong tourists as they are set to be loaded onto a Cathay
Pacific plane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday.

Photo by Jay Chua
Malaya, Thursday, August 26, 2010


Sad homecoming. The remains of the eight Hong Kong tourists were
flown Wednesday night to the former British colony with full
military honors.