BINMALEY, Pangasinan— Special Action Force (SAF) men are especially trained
to fight terrorists and insurgents and should not be doing a lighter job as
security of VIPs (Very Important Persons).

Thus, as directed by Philippine National Police (PNP Chief Director General
Oscar Calderon, about 1,600 especially-trained policemen for SAF detailed as
security of VIPs or doing lighter job of securing establishments like
Congress, Senate and other Cabinet buildings are now being recalled.

Calderon, who was here last week for the inauguration of the town’s new
police station, told local newsmen that these SAF men are “not being removed”
but are “recalled” where they are detailed.

“We are recalling these especially-trained forces to concentrate on counter
insurgency”, Calderon said.

Those recalled as security of VIPs are being replaced with other policemen
who are trained on VIP security, he added.

Asked if there are VIPs complaining regarding this move, Calderon said,” We
cannot satisfy everybody. There will always be complaints but if you could
show the real intention of the recall, I believe they would agree with us”.

He said SAF men are trained to fight terrorists as well as insurgents.

Calderon said they are now training auxiliary forces from the ranks of
retired policemen, security guards and civilian sectors to secure VIPs and
businessmen and they will be employed as security of these VIPs and
businessmen.

Meanwhile, Calderon said they are now doing “target hardening” as well as
conduct of checkpoints along the streets in Metro Manila and suburbs in
preparation for the 9/11 terrorists’ attack.

Although the 9/11 attack happened in the US on Sept. 11, 2001 where 19 men
affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners
which crashed resulting in the death of almost 3,000 people, he said there is
a Filipino mentality wherein we recall incidents during its anniversary.

He said they have already alerted their regional commands to take
precautionary measures on establishments that could be soft targets of
terrorism.

He added that they have been strict in the conduct of implementations of
checkpoints like in the airports, bus stations, light railway transits as
well as in malls.

There are also policemen in uniform and in civilian clothes who are armed and
ready to engage against people with criminal activities in these places, he
said.

He said the police have also advised owners of big establishments to hire
more security personnel to better secure their establishments.