LOILO City – The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the Police Regional Office 6 won the 2nd National SWAT Challenge shooting competition at the Team Davao Shooting Range in Davao City.
Comprising 10 members, the team was adjudged overall champion in the Nov. 6 to 9 contest, beating 51 other police regional offices and teams of government forces.
“This was a big accomplishment [for us],” said Superintendent Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokeswoman. “Last year our team placed 22nd.”
Other competitors were from the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force, and the SWAT National Support Unit, Malong said.
SWAT team leaders Senior Inspector Eduardo Siacon and Chief Inspector Edfel Balibadlan were adjudged top competitors.
Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, PRO-6 director, congratulated his men.
“We gave them our all-out support for our desire to win the National SWAT Challenge,” he said, noting that the Western Visayas office pioneered the competition.
Primarily the competition tested the shooting capabilities of the SWAT teams, the police forces performing “high-risk” law enforcement functions.
But it also allowed the police force to “gauge how our SWAT units are doing in terms of responding to scenarios and check the completeness of their equipment,” said Bulalacao.
Prior to the competition the PRO-6’s SWAT team trained under Superintendent Jonas Prisle Prete, a shooting competition organizer, and Nelson Uygongco, an international shooter, for two months.
They rehearsed firing courses at the Camp Delgado Firing Range to improve their accuracy and harnessed their rifle skills at the 3rd Infantry Division Rifle Range in Jamindan, Capiz./PN
