January 15, 2000, The Philippine Star, Patrolling cops, Marine troops learn lessons from each other, by Paolo Romero,

January 15, 2000, The Philippine Star, Patrolling cops, Marine troops learn lessons from each other, by Paolo Romero,

The city mouse can learn a little something from the country mouse, and vice versa.

The deployment of Marines in airports, malls and shopping centers in Metro Manila to assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its anti-crime drive has forced some changes in the working habits of both the policemen and Marine troopers.

Officials said yesterday that for one, the Marines, who are trained for combat in the countryside, are not used to wearing spiffy low-cut dress shoes.

"We are discarding the boots as their shoes, although the boys are complaining because they're comfortable with boots in patrolling the beats. We told them they'll get used to dress shoes," said Col. Cesar dela Peña, operations chief of the Marine Corps.

He added that his troops were also initially overwhelmed by the number of people in the malls but quickly adjusted with the help of their policemen-buddies.

A more telling change, however, was among the ranks of policemen who are still adjusting to the presence of the snappy, clean-cut Marines.

A Quezon City policeman assigned in the Cubao shopping area admitted that he and his colleagues became more conscious of their pot bellies and have started to polish their badges, insignias and belt buckles, just like the slimmer Marines do.

And unlike policemen who strip down to their undershirts while taking their meals in food outlets, the Marines cook their meals at police stations and eat the way they do in mess halls, a practice now being imitated by patrolmen at their stations.

The deployment also forced some police units to conduct more foot patrols as the Marine troopers have to be accompanied by at least one policeman when making their rounds.

Marine commandant Brig. Gen. Percival Subala said his first reaction to the deployment order coming from general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo was one of surprise.

"But I quickly realized that we are always deputized in schools, barangay halls, city halls and police precincts during elections, so their new duties now are more or less similar and temporary just like what the Commission on Elections tells us," Subala said.

Navy chief Vice Adm. Luisito Fernandez said the morale of the Marines is now "very high" because of the support of the people.

"The reception (of the people) is very positive, they applaud when the Marines are deployed. This is really a new challenge for them but we are all professional soldiers and they have proved themselves able to rise to this challenge," Fernandez told reporters after visiting Marine troopers deployed in malls and police stations.

"You can base the wisdom of the decision on the reception they're getting. We're happy to note that six out of seven people are in favor of the deployment," he said.

Currently, there are 360 Marine troopers, taken from the Marine Guard Battalion and Headquarters Support and Services Group based at Fort Bonifacio, deployed in shopping malls and police precincts.

Fernandez said an additional 140 troopers will be flown in from Palawan to meet the 500 Marines quota promised to the PNP.

At 7 every morning, the Marines assemble at the grandstand at Fort Bonifacio for instructions and board military trucks to be detailed in various areas.

"A problem is their transport to the headquarters when their duties are over," Dela Peña said.

Fernandez clarified that the Marines only act as support units to the police, such as for visibility, and will only use their firearms for self-defense.

"He (the Marine) is not authorized to perform any police function. He is there primarily to accompany a fellow man in uniform," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Front (NDF) branded the deployment as a "creeping undeclared martial law" of President Estrada.

NDF chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison in a statement said the Estrada administration is trying to get the people used to the deployment of combat troops in urban areas.

"One pretext is fighting criminality. But the biggest criminals are in Malacañang. Both police and military officers are also running criminal syndicates engaged in extortion, kidnapping for ransom, robbery, drugs and so on," Sison said.