ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines. (06 November 2019) - Seven members of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) successfully completed a six-month training in Urban Counter Revolutionary Warfare Course (UCRWC) yesterday, 05 November at Philippine National Police (PNP)-Special Action Force (SAF) Seaborne Training Facility in San Ramon, Zamboanga City.

Members of the PCG’s Special Operations Force (CGSOF) together with nine members from the Philippine Marine Corps and 71 PNP personnel were developed into well-rounded, effective, and efficient urban warfare operators after the course.

The closing ceremony of UCRWC Class 86-2019 was graced by Police Major General Amando Clifton B Empiso PNP, the PNP-SAF Director.

The Urban Counter-Revolutionary Warfare Course, also known as “Sureshock”, is one of the courses offered exclusively by the PNP-SAF designed to develop skills of students to respond to crisis and terrorist incidents in mostly urban situations. Students are honed with modern anti-terrorist methods in conducting rescue operations for aircraft and/or moving vehicles hostage scenarios, breaching or rappelling to enter an assault area from above, strategies in extrication of hostages, and close-quarters battle.

The PNP with inclusion of other security agencies focused its training on urban warfare after the Marawi siege and realization of growing threats from different criminal and terrorist groups in the country.

The PCG’s inclusion was made possible through the efforts of Commodore Joseph Coyme PCG, the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao Commander to stengthen the skills of CGSOF who are one of the frontline forces of the PCG and promote interoperability of the PCG with other military and law enforcement units in ZAMBASULTA (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi provinces) region.

In 2017, teams from CGSOF were among the government forces sent by PCG for a five-month deployment to patrol and fight against lawless elements in Lanao Lake in the war-torn Marawi City.

PCG personnel who were confined in performing maritime safety, environmental protection, and search and rescue were part of the internal security operations fighting the enemies in Lanao Lake. The PCG was tasked to be the Captain of the Ports overseeing the security and operations of ports in Mindanao.

Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Special Operations Unit-Southwestern Mindanao