US Marines training SAF for Apec duty

BACOLOD CITY—The United States Marine Corps have started training Wednesday police commandos and allied police operatives in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, in preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting set for April 29 to 30 in the province .

Supt. Marlu Conag, battalion commander of the Special Action Force and Special Action Battalion 6 (SAF SAB-6), said the US military assistance group will offer Philippine military, police and special units regular training on anti-insurgency, Apec tasking, human rights, K-9 handling, bomb and explosives and counterterrorism .

The training for the 46 SAF members from SAB-6 and eight from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and the Regional Public Safety Battalion will last seven weeks, or 45 days, Conag said.

Around 600 to 700 delegates from 21 economies are expected to join the two-day Apec Credit Bureau and Finance Meeting which was reset from its original dates of April 16 and 17, on the request of Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella.

Ambassador Mariano Paynor Jr., Apec 2015 National Organizing Committee director general, met on Monday with Puentebella, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon and multi-sectoral representatives to discuss the event. Carla Gomez,Inquirer Visayas