October 5, 2001, ABS-CBN, Cops lack antiterror training, by Paul Atienza,

October 5, 2001, ABS-CBN, Cops lack antiterror training, by Paul Atienza, TODAY Correspondent

10:30 PM ZE8, Friday, 

The Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) admitted that the graduates of the Philippine National Po- lice Academy (PNPA) were not trained for special counterterrorist operations.

PPSC president Police Director Ramsey Ocampo told Today that the PNPA has no academic subject designed to address the specialized education on the terrorism.

"We are trying to impress on our students what terrorists intend to do and what are their capabilities. After they have finished their traditional courses, the next step in the ladder of our training program are the advanced courses, but there are no specialized courses tailored for specialized subjects like terrorism," Ocampo said.

The PPSC, which is administered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, is the agency that sets the curriculum of the PNPA, which is the primary police school in the country.

Ocampo said the retired police officers should take the initiative in teaching the theories of counterterrorism.

"We do not have the tools and we have not really adopted the instructions on the subject of terrorism," Ocampo said.

Ocampo said the cadets are taking up terrorism and terrorism-related subjects that are incorporated in the regular courses.

He said counterterrorism should be included as a regular subject in the police course.

"We have not really taken stronger steps to imbue our students with the specialized knowledge of terrorism. We are not headed in that direction. If we are to have such subjects available, it is possible that PNP will come up with its own special course but so far, in relation to our mandate, hindi pa kami binigyan ng kautusan to put up a [counterterrorism] course in our curriculum." Ocampo added.

The PPSC considers the subject a transnational crime that covers international laws, Ocampo said.

Ocampo said that the issue about the terrorist threat does not affect the present course of the academy. 

He said the government's effort to introduce to the police education the special course on counterterrorism would be a good cost-cutting measure that would control the expensive and selective practice of sending PNP officers to foreign training on counterterrorism. TODAY