PNP tests new Crisis Action Force

MANILA, Philippines - Almost a year after a bloody hostage-taking at Rizal Park in Manila, the Philippine National Police started yesterday testing the mettle of its newly activated PNP Crisis Action Force (CAF) with five days of “unscripted” crisis situation exercises.

Anti-terror experts from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore watched as members of the PNP-CAF staged an assault on a parked airplane with eight “terrorists” at the Manila Domestic Airport.

Wearing full body armor and carrying assault rifles and portable ladders, the team entered the plane and used a stun grenade to disorient the terrorists.

“The foreign and local anti-terrorism experts were invited not to watch a scripted show but to assess, rate and critique the CAF’s performance,” a police official said.

PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo ordered Director Leocadio Santiago, PNP Directorate for Operations chief, to plan and implement an “honest to goodness” evaluation of the police unit intended as the primary responder in highly sensitive crisis situations.

Santiago said a total of 184 policemen from different units, including the Special Action Force and the Maritime Group, are taking part in the exercises.

After the airport hostage exercise yesterday, the team will be tested today near the Manila Bay and at the Metro Rail Transit tomorrow. The last two days will be in Subic, where land, water and air crisis simulations will be held.

Santiago said the first day indicated the need for operatives to get more equipment to effectively address the situation.