Chan to hone gun skills of media men

Media man checks his hand gun

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 LINGAYEN – After a series of assassination of media men in the country this year, the provincial police director of Pangasinan mulls to hold a police-media family shooting competition to improve the gun handling skills of reporters.
 Senior Superintendent. Marlou Chan said his office will provide experts to teach the members of the fourth estate about proper gun handling and accurate shooting.
 “Ang tawag doon “ tyro”, mga neophytes, first time,” Chan described a media man who has to learn for the first time firing a gun.
 The provincial director is known as one of the most media friendly provincial directors in Pangasinan.
 Chan, an alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy, led the introduction of new gun handling and shooting techniques he learned in the recent shooting competition at Clark Field in Pampanga.

Colonel Chan (R) with a media friend

He said the competition was participated by regional and provincial directors all over the country.
Despite conveying to the 48 chiefs of police the various shooting techniques by gun shooting experts brought by Chan, he said that shooting out with the malefactors would still be the last recourse by the police.
“Their skills can only be used as required. Discretion still plays a crucial role. (The competition) only gives them skill and competence,” he stressed.
The provincial director also planned to enjoin all the members of the PNP in Pangasinan from the top official to the lowest police patrol to harness their gun skills. “We intend to do it on a regular basis not only for chiefs of police. It is needed by provincial director down to the lowest police officer 1” on the ground especially sa PO1".
 He allayed the apprehension by lower ranked policemen about the expenses that would be entailed by a shooting competition considered by many as a luxury. “Merong binili ang ating regional director na re-loader (of spent shells). Ibig sabihin noon pag may re-loader ka cheaper (the bullets). Kasi ang presyo ng bala ay 40 percent or even 30 percent (less),” he cited.
 Chan plans that the expenses on the bullets in the incoming gun competition participated by all of his policemen could be subsidized by the provincial police office.