The chief of the Eastern Police District (EPD) Wednesday has ordered the four chiefs of police in the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Marikina to immediately review its operational readiness when it comes to addressing hostage-taking situations.

Police Chief Supt. Francisco Soria Manalo, Jr, EPD district director, said he has ordered the police officials — Police Chief Supt. Jessie Cardona of the Pasig City Police, Senior Superintendent Carlos de Sagun of the Mandaluyong City Police, Senior Supt. Procopio Lipana of the San Juan City Police and Senior Superintendent Romeo Magsalos of the Marikina City Police — to review their operational response during a hostage crisis to prevent a bloodbath similar to what happened in Manila last Monday.

Manalo said he relayed his order to the chiefs of police during a meeting with them in his office at the EPD headquarters in Pasig City on Tuesday. Manalo said one way of addressing the problem is by conducting regular training/rehearsals for members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) group on hostage-taking situations so that lives of hostages will not be compromised.

Each police station, it was recalled, has its own SWAT units ready to respond during a hostage crisis.

“What happened in Manila has opened our eyes on so many things. Because of that, I have ordered them to thoroughly review their operational readiness during hostage-taking situations,” Manalo told Manila Bulletin in an interview.

He added that contrary to perceptions by some, the Philippine National Police (PNP), headed by Police Director General Jesus A Verzosa has not neglected its duty to help modernize the equipment used by policemen especially members of the SWAT as part of  Integrated Transformation Program (ITP) of the PNP.

Most of the SWAT team, he said, lack equipment such as helmets and appropriate communications apparatus to hasten their response during hostage situations. But despite this,  police still risk lives and limbs in doing their jobs as police officers.

“Hindi nakakaligtaan iyan ng PNP (modernize equipment) but the process of acquiring such equipment it not that easy. We have to do it very slowly dahil napakamahal at very sophisticated ng mga ito (The PNP doesn’t forget that but the process of acquiring such equipment is not that easy. We have to do it very slowly because such equipment is expensive and sophisticated),” Manalo stressed.