Aklan K-9 handlers train in Negros, sniffing dogs ready for police duties

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Two policemen of Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) completed the K-9 handlers’ course in Negros Occidental. 

Senior Police Officer 1 Genesis Reynaldo and Police Officer 3 Jackson Jauod, Jr. are the latest addition of K-9 handlers of Philippine National Police (PNP) this April. 

Labrador 'Honesto' and SPO1 Genesis Reynaldo

The successful graduates underwent a four-month Basic K-9 and K-9 Handlers Course at Victorias City Sport and Amusement Center in Negros Occidental. 

The two uniformed members of APPO will graduate on April 10 along with twelve other K-9 handlers from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA)-Roxas, Philippine Coast Guard and the city government of Victorias. 

Reynaldo, who is also the president of Class Bangkilan, said the rigorous 16-week training program was overseen by qualified instructors from the Philippine Coast Guard K-9 mobile training unit. 

The instructors trained the policemen in the canine wellness, feeding, grooming and care of the dogs and enhanced the competence and efficiency of police officers on handling K-9.

They also developed K-9 in explosive and narcotics detection to be used by PNP in police operations. 

“The Malay town government through Mayor John Yap helped us in our training in Negros and a local businessman from Kalibo supplied us the dogs. We might be assigned in Boracay for the APEC meetings, but whole Aklan ang coverage ng police canine services in coordination with PCG K-9 unit in Caticlan,” Reynaldo said in an interview.

Reynaldo said the K-9 unit is a first of its kind in Aklan through the initiative of then acting Aklan provincial police director Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion and Associate Provincial Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales.

Nacion is now assigned in Capiz Police Provincial Office. 

A Labrador retriever ‘Honesto’ and German shepherd ‘Cezar’, the working dogs of Reynaldo and Jauod also passed the training course for narcotics and bomb-detection capabilities and fit to serve the police force.