For police trainees: Garbo assures better conditions at camp

CEBU, Philippines - Police Regional Office (PRO) – 7 Director Marcelo Garbo Jr. has promised a “better training and living condition” for the 152 police trainees undergoing scout training at the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 7 in Sibonga town.

The scout training started yesterday.

“Marami na tayong mga issues dito sa RPSB-7 and I hope that this training of scouts will not be an opportunity for business minded senior police officers,” Garbo said.

“Time and again, we have received complaints from young trainees that they were shortchanged of their need rights. I, as the regional director, will not allow this,” he added.

This was Garbo’s stern statement in a speech at RPSB-7 yesterday. He, however, did not give details about the complaints.

For a fresh start, Garbo said RPSB-7 is now under the leadership of Supt. Leopoldo Cabanag who replaced Sr. Supt. Mariano Batiancela as RPSB-7 Officer-In-Charge.

He reminded trainers to ensure their trainees’ competence through humane ways.

 “As a young officer, I trained in the US military and I have seen how they train and their standards. That is what we are trying to assimilate here (at RPSB-7). Let it be said that the 152 trainees will all be graduating 152 strong,” he said.

Garbo said PRO-7 is sincere in its vision to professionalize the police force in the region by improving the facilities and services PRO-7 offers its men.

 “It is my intense desire to give my best to all of you (police scout trainees). Kahit na may sumalungat sa ating mga pangarap at vision. Here we are, inaugurating the PRO-7 training barks for scout tainting,” he said.

The trainees will undergo rigid training for the Philippine National Police Counter-Insurgency Operations Unit Training which is required for all new policemen. A similar training will start today at Santa Catalina Town in Negros Oriental, which Garbo will head.

Instead of the normal two to three trainings per year, Garbo has ordered to conduct eight trainings per year. The 152 police trainees are composed of 24 female and 128 males.

One of the trainees, Michael Cabaral, 27, a nursing graduate, is the son of National Police Commission 7 Director Homer Cabaral.

The Napolcom 7 chief who attended the inauguration said that despite the harsh environment, he is assured of his son’s safety and over-all development after the two month rigid training.

 “It is the first time that our trainees (in the region) are well accommodated. The result of our training will be very positive, fruitful and will be great to all trainees,” Cabaral said.

The training barks, which will serve as housing for all trainees, worth at least P800,000. PRO-7 raised fund given by generous donors for the construction of the structure.   

A benefit golf tournament was supposed to fund the construction of the training barks before it was shelved last year after The FREEMAN discovered that the same was “illegal.” –Ryan Christopher J. Sorote/JMO (THE FREEMAN)