Duterte wants 2,500 more SAF going after NPAs

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte ordered Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to recruit 2,500 more policemen for the Special Action Force (SAF) to boost the campaign against terrorism and communist rebels.

The President’s directive will bring to 5,000 the total number of SAF to be accepted in the police force.?Dela Rosa said Duterte told him Wednesday to form five more SAF battalions. A battalion is composed of 500 members.?

The additional five battalions for SAF are aside from the five Special Action Battalions (SABs) earlier approved by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

The Napolcom recently approved the creation of five additional SABs under the SAF in compliance with the recent directive of Duterte to beef up and enhance the operational capability of the PNP’s SAF in curbing criminality and terrorism.?Napolcom vice chairman Rogelio Casurao said SABs are tasked to conduct long-range reconnaissance/surveillance operations deep into enemy territory through infiltration and extrication by air, land or sea.?“SAF commandos are also mandated to provide support to other PNP units in their efforts to fight against syndicated crime groups,” he said.?The Napolcom also approved the restructuring of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in order to achieve a highly organized investigative unit of the national police.

The PNP CIDG is mandated to undertake monitoring, investigation and prosecution of all crimes involving economic sabotage and other crimes of such magnitude and extent as to indicate their commission by highly placed and professional syndicates and organizations.?Napolcom also approved the renaming of the Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Units to CIDG Regional Field Units.

Meanwhile, communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked a remote village in Lanuna, Surigao del Sur on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of villagers to abandon their houses.

Lt. Col. Xerxes Trinidad, commander of the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion based in the province, said the NPA rebels attacked a military team conducting a community development project in Barangay Agsam.

The NPA rebels also targeted the lumads in the village. The insurgents were searching for a family after finding out one of them had applied to join the Army, Trinidad said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries in the attack. –Jaime Laude