Iloilo city: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has committed to continue providing opportunities for officers to enhance and hone their investigative and operational capabilities through seminars and training programs. 'The nature of threats and peace and order terrain are continuously evolving. We have to innovate and we have to continuously upgrade our knowledge and skills to ensure that we will be able to properly respond,' PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said during the closing ceremony of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Threat and Security Symposium here on Friday. 'When it comes to peace and order and security, the Philippine National Police should always be updated and not left behind.'

According to Philippines News Agency, the PNP expanded the training program to include investigators and officers assigned to the bomb disposal and K-9 units, down to the regional and provincial levels. Nartatez said the symposium tackled new updates in addressing different kinds of bomb threats that include identification, analysis, and investigation to support stronger case buildup and prosecution of offenders.

The symposium also served as a follow-up to the same training program organized by the Southeast Asian International Command in partnership with the Australian Federal Police, held in Bohol in March. The activity reinforced the importance of capability development, knowledge exchange, and coordinated responses among partner agencies. 'This activity is intended to equip our personnel with all the necessary skills to properly respond in the interest of peace and order and public safety,' Nartatez added.

Western Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tua±o highlighted that the region's strategic ports, serving as gateways to Panay Island, necessitate close coordination with local government units. He emphasized the need to enhance K9 training to improve the detection of potential explosive threats, not only in Western Visayas but across the country.

Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista expressed that the symposium will help improve security, especially in tourist spots like Boracay. 'Our collaboration with the PNP is good because what we need is to be proactive and increase the equipment. Those are the preventive measures,' Bautista stated in Filipino.