'Army has best shooters'

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Army is home to the best marksmen, who have distinguished themselves not only in local competitions, but also in international competitions, an official said yesterday.

Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc issued the statement when asked about the shooting skills of Army personnel after the Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted that most policemen are poor shooters.

Cabunoc said Army shooters have consistently landed in the top three in the annual ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM).

“They won several gold medals in other international shooting competitions hosted by foreign countries like China and Australia,” Cabunoc said.

He cited Cpl. Rodney Rizano and Sgt. Allan Lao, who have ranked first and second, respectively, among 100 soldiers during the AARM held in Indonesia last October.

“We are enhancing the shooting skills of our soldiers by conducting scenario-based shooting applications training in the field,” he added.

 Cabunoc said there have also been proposals requiring soldiers to pass the Rifle Marksmanship Qualification Course before being reenlisted in the service.

On Monday, The STAR reported that a majority of policemen could not shoot straight.

“We call them bolo men. These policemen, who could not shoot straight, should not be given a gun but just a bolo,” said Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino, PNP deputy chief for administration.

 “We have to prioritize the marksmanship training, especially for our operatives,” Belarmino said.