NCRPO bans policemen in wearing SWAT uniform because it is being used by lawless elements

Miami
November 7, 2008
Story: NCRPO bans policemen in wearing SWAT uniform because it is being used by lawless elements

The National Capital Region Police Office has banned its policemen from Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) to wear their black uniforms because it is also being used by lawless elements victimizing innocent people for robbery.

Police Director Jefferson Soriano, NCRPO Chief, said that all those who will wear SWAT uniform, policemen or not, it will be subject for arrest and the SWAT uniform will be confiscated.

He added that they are now studying what kind of sanctions that they should give on those who will violate this.

The NCRPO made this agreement after they had their command conference last Tuesday, November 4, 2008. “The SWAT personnel will have to wear their regular police uniform, blue uniform, it’s a complete turn around of the SWAT uniform, we need to solve it before Christmas season and we will do everything,” Soriano said.

The decision for banning the SWAT uniform is because of the number of robbery happening in Metro Manila, and most of the suspects are wearing SWAT uniform.

Even if SWAT personnel are at the operations, they should not wear the SWAT uniform but instead the blue one.

Base on the information that we got, there are three groups of armed men consist of 30 persons doing robbery that are wearing SWAT uniform as their modus operandi.

Meanwhile, for the upcoming Christmas season, Soriano said they will deploy 1,000 Regional Mobile Group (RMG) in Metro Manila particularly in terminals and malls. The RMG personnel have M-16. He also believed that crimes during Christmas season are going down because of the police visibility.