MEXICO, Pampanga – “No casualty among the hostages. All the CT’s neutralized. Sector B secured.” So reported the commander of Team Bravo that led the assault on the administrative building of a power sub-station here.
It was a drill “to raise awareness and prepare for any eventuality” conducted by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on June 26 at its substation facility here. Joining the security and safety drill were members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), representatives of the local government unit (LGU) and the NGCP’s security force.
Willy Jasmin, NGCP security chief for north Luzon, said the substation is a vital facility and emergency situations could happen anytime. “There is no better defense than being well prepared and knowing what to do in case of any eventuality,” he said.
The first scenario played out during the drill was a militant group’s mock protest-rally in front of the facility which turned violent and the quick response of the PNP’s Civil Disturbance Unit from the 3rd Regional Public safety Battalion led by their commander, Senior Supt. Bernard Perez, who were augmented by the Mexico Fire Department’s crowd dispersal unit.
The first scenario was immediately followed by a mock attack on the facility by supposed “communists terrorists (CTs)” which resulted in a hostage- taking incident. A Crisis Management Committee (CMC) was quickly convened in a secured site near the facility with the LGU representative, Municipal Engineer JC Punzalan, as head.
Roldan Maniulit, deputy police chief and designated spokesman, briefed the media on the different scenarios in the drill. The mock execution of a hostaged security guard was later played out despite efforts by the “hostage negotiator” to meet the CTs demands prompting the CMC to order the “final option” which means using deadly force to neutralize the enemies.
A SWAT Team led by Chief Insp. Ohmar Bognot and the Philippine Army assaulted the facility with tactical precision resulting in the rescue of all hostages and the elimination of the threat. A “critique” of the security and safety drill was later conducted to identify lapses and loopholes as well as weaknesses and plan for their solutions.
Earlier, a similar security and safety drill was also conducted at the NGCP compound in Bauang, La Union.
