「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

By Robina Asido

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Japan Coast Guard (JCG) kicked off a five-day training on techniques to arrest maritime offenders in Manila on Monday.

The training held at the gymnasium of PCG Base Farola was participated by around 13 PCG members and three Japan Coast Guard Officers. They were JCG Moji Branch Instructor Iihoshi Tomofumi, Ensign Shinohara Soichiro and JCG Expert, Chief Advisor to PCG Commander Onodera Hiroaki.

"It is important to know these arresting techniques because we are in the vessel. There are some violators that we need to apprehend but we don't need to use excessive force such as the use of firearms, so these arresting techniques are important because they can be use in arresting the criminal without using excessive force," said Ensign Richelle Veronica Piollo, one of the graduates of the JCG Moji Branch in Fukuoka.

The program was sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the PCG enhancement capability project since 2010.

"Since many of them have already received training in Japan, it is a review and a reinforcement of what has been taught to them so it's basically understanding the details," Iihoshi said.

"This time around (we will) consolidate what they have learned so that they can teach it and cascade the knowledge to the PCG personnel of other units so basically that is (what we) would like to do this time," Shinohara said.

Iihoshi said the first three days of training will include the review of the basic to advanced level of training while the two remaining days are for the Japanese instructor to oversee the training being conducted by the PCG instructors to their students.

During training, participants practice Ukemi, a technique used to prevent injury or to lessen the landing impact incase of being thrown. The exercises done under Ukemi include front roll, back roll, break fall, side fall, front fall and judo roll.

Aside from Ukemi, the Tai-sabaki, a term from Japanese martial art that refers to body movement and Ma-ai, which means the distance between the two persons in combat or the "engagement distance" were also conducted.

"We will be teaching how to take a fall if you are thrown, you know how to fall down, next is the proper stance on maintaining the correct distance and how to properly apply techniques in terms of body movement or what they call as Tai-sabaki (martial art) and that is part of what we will also taught today," he added.

Piollo said as of 2022 there were a total of 20 PCG instructors who have graduated from a three to four week program at JCG Moji Branch.

"Those who came in Japan before me they were assigned in CG education training command so they were drill instructors in regional training centers... they are teaching a large number of students, because for example when you are teaching in a certain class of Coast Guard officers course or Coast Guard non-officer course the numbers are hundreds," she said.

As she emphasized the importance of the training, Piollo admitted that other PCG personnel who learned the techniques do not have the initiative to continue the practice.

"It's hard to keep the motivation of these students, they were taught but not all were enthusiastic to continue. So some of them just know it but they don't practice it and there is no continuity," she said.

After about three hours of training, Iihoshi said "around 50 to 70 percent" of the participants were able to perform the techniques properly.

"They are now instructors so it is still a little bit low because they are actually instructors," he said.

However, Iihoshi also noted the "big potential" among the participants of the training.

"There is a big potential on how they can actually expand this. Once they continue doing these, they are still like mid-stream for now, so it is necessary for them to continue their development," he said.

"They are very serious, I think the atmosphere shows that they are very eager to learn, even though it is a bit difficult to do. It is not easy, they are doing their best," he added. DMS