Sinas: No hazing at training center

CEBU, Philippines — Police Regional Office-7 director Brigadier General Debold Sinas assured there is no hazing at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Training Center-7 in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion, Cebu.

Sinas made the assurance amid the recent incident at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City where a cadet died allegedly because of hazing.  The top police official in the region made an organizational visit at the training center yesterday.

The police general told the reporters during the visit that the use of physical contact is not necessary to impose discipline on the police trainees. He said that physical exercises and cancellation of privileges are the only forms of punishments they are implementing in the training center.

 “Group exercise, we have also yung wala kay privileges,” Sinas said.

“Di na kinahanglan na muagi sila ana (hazing) ng proseso,” he added.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Mario Gacho Cortes, training center director, said that the RTC-7 has ‘zero tolerance’ of hazing as a form of disciplinary action. He said the PNP chief also made it clear to him that hazing has no place in the training school.

He, however, admitted that they do have initiation rites to welcome the new recruits. They call it “reception ceremony” where recruits are made to perform rigid physical exercises.  Cortes emphasized that the initiation activities maybe strenuous but no physical contact is involved.

“Wala, bawal po yun,” Cortes said, referring to body contact during the reception exercises.

The training director also said that they are strictly implementing the “no corruption” policy in the center.

“Dito po sa training center hindi po natin pinahihintulutan. Binabawal talaga natin yung pangungulekta ng kung ano man,” Cortes said.

He said that the center is also holding family day to encourage the parents of the trainees to visit them for them to see that their children are not maltreated while undergoing training. Although physical contacts are prohibited, some recruits still quit from the training.

Cortes said at least three recruits have already quit. Two resigned out of exhaustion while the other one was diagnosed to have a health condition which was not detected during the medical examination.

Patrolman James Salacida, one of the trainees, confirmed that he has not experienced hazing since he entered the training center.

“Wala, almost tanan exercise. Basic exercise and hard exercise,” Salacida said.

Salacida will complete his training on February next year.  FPL (FREEMAN)