NCRPO to undertake more simulation exercises

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, said that the simulation exercises will be helpful in improving police reactions to different emergency situations. (Photo by NCRPO)

MANILA–Units of the National Capital Region Police Office will undertake more simulation exercises (simex) as part of the police organization’s incident preparedness training, a ranking official said on Wednesday.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, said that the simulation exercises will be helpful in improving police reactions to different emergency situations.

“Well ang purpose ng ating simex is para makita yung kaunting pagkukulang para maimprove. If you can remember a few months back nagkaroon tayo ng simex pero hindi ganitong scenario. During that time meron lang reported na naiwan na isang bagay na probably explosive so controlled detonated sya pero this time mas marami tayong mga scenario even the actual explosion so yun ang gusto natin makita.”

(The purpose of our simex is to see the small gaps to improve our reactions. If you can remember a few months back, we had our simex but not this scenario. During that time there was a reported thing, probably explosive, so we had to controlled detonated it. But this time, we have a lot of scenarios even actual explosion. That’s what we want to see,)” Eleazar said.

A simulated bomb attack and a simulated bus hostage taking was undertaken by the QCPD at the Araneta Bus Terminal Wednesday which was attended by incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Oscar Albayalde.

“(T)hey will be doing this maybe in a smaller case sa iba’t-ibang lugar sa QC, probably each station meron kaming gagawin (They will be doing this maybe in smaller case in different areas in QC, probably we can to something different in each station),” Eleazar said.

In Hongkong, President Rodrigo R. Duterte formally apologized for the deaths of eight Chineses tourists in August 2010 when Manila police botched a rescue operation during Luneta hostage crisis in Rizal Park.

A disgruntled former police officer Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus. The rescue conducted by the Manila police resulted in nine deaths, including the hostage taker.

For his part Brig. Gen. Allan Arrojado, who leads the brigade-sized Joint Task Force-National Capital Regional (JTF-NCR) of the armed forces, said simulated excercises will help the government react to any contingency.

“Importante ito to give us an eyeview para makaroon sila ng experiential learning, saan mga gaps, strengths and weaknesses na pwede natin address…kapag may mangyari. At least maka-react sa lahat ng mga incidents (This is important to give us an eyeview and let us have an experiential learning, where are the gaps, strengths, weaknesses that we can address…if there’s an incident. At least, we can react to all of the incidents) ,” he said.

The JTF-NCR will act as the supporting unit for the NCRPO for the contingencies which may arise during the May 14 baranggay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.