| Special Action Force | |
|---|---|
 Beret patch | |
| Active | May 16, 1983 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Agency | Philippine National Police |
| Headquarters | Fort Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Laguna (main) Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, Metro Manila (camp) |
| Motto | "By skill and virtue, we triumph" [1] |
| Abbreviation | SAF |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | PMGen. Bernard M. Banac |
The Special Action Force (SAF) is the elite unit of the Philippine National Police founded by Fidel V. Ramos, later the twelfth president of the Philippines.
Formed on May 12, 1983, by the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC) as the Philippine Constabulary Special Action Force [2] (PCSAF) as per PC General Orders 323. [3] The creation of the SAF was inspired by and "formed along the lines of" the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS). [4] Fidel Ramos and Renato de Villa were the founders of the unit. [5] De Villa directed Rosendo Ferrer and Avelino "Sonny" Razon Jr. to organize a Special Action Force. [6] After which, a training program called the PCSAF Ranger Course, was used to train the 1st generation of SAF troopers, which had a number of 149 troopers. [3] Out of them, 26 were commissioned officers with the others being enlisted personnel from a wide range of PC units such as the PC Brigade, the Long Range Patrol Battalion (LRP), the K-9 Support Company, PC Special Organized Group, the Light Reaction Unit (LRU) of PC MetroCom, the PC Off-Shore Action Command (COSAC) and other PC Units. [3] Later on, they changed the name of the course to SAF Operations Course (SAFOC) then SAF Commando Course (SAFCC). [3]
During the days of the EDSA Revolution in late February 1986, Ramos was involved in planning an operation called "Exercise Ligtas Isla" ("Exercise Save Island") in case either First Lady Imelda Marcos or Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Fabián Ver would take over as ruler from President Marcos, who had already been ill by that time. [3] When Corazon Aquino acceded to the presidency, the SAF were mandated to be on standby due to the several coup attempts by rogue Philippine soldiers throughout her rule. [7]
On January 29, 1991, President Aquino signed Republic Act 6975 into law, which changed the name of the SAF from PCSAF to PNPSAF as a part of transition of government. [8]
In 2008, it was reported that the SAF moved to a permanent camp at Barangay Pinugay, Baras, Rizal under Proclamation No. 1355 passed in August 2007. [9]
For the first time, SAF troopers were involved in the Balikatan exercises in 2009 since American and Filipino troops are usually involved. [10]
On July 20, 2016, SAF created NBP Facility Security Provisional Battalion led by PSUPT Ledon Monte to take over from the Bureau of Corrections the duties to man the New Bilibid Prison, particularly in the Maximum Security Camp where big-time drug lords and hardened prisoners are held. [11]
The PNP has approved the creation of five more Special Action Battalions to the SAF in 2017. [12] [13]
In 2019, the SAF witnessed the beefing-up of its Air Unit with the operationalization of 9 new helicopters (7 Airbus H125 and 2 Robinson R44 Raven II units). [14] On June 29, 2021, the Air Unit was transferred to the Office of the Chief, PNP as prescribed under NAPOLCOM Resolution Number 2021-0720. This was in line in the PNP's 2020 Annual Report in an effort to ensure the force's organizational effectiveness, air support and mobility. [15]
As of 2021, the SAF's command structure consists of the following:
Prior to recruitment, prospective SAF candidates must be recruited into the PNP with the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1), now Patrolman as of 2022. [37] This would be followed by a six-month basic public safety course at the National Police Training Institute with field training done in the streets of the Philippines. [37] The latter requirement was dropped as of 2018 because of concerns that new officers having field training would be exposed to bad and corrupt practices. [38]
SAF candidates then need to attend the SAF Commando Course (or equivalent training such as Scout Ranger Course, Force Reconnaissance Course, Special Forces Operations Course) [39] to be allowed to wear the SAF Beret. [40] [41] The course includes modules in internal security operations, waterborne rescue, police intervention, barangay module and operational testing, followed by a field training exercise. [40]
After completing the commando course, SAF operators are allowed to take specialized training such as explosives and ordnance disposal (EOD), [37] Basic Airborne Course (BAC), [40] Urban Counter Revolutionary Warfare Course (SURESHOCK), [40] K-9 Training Course, [42] Sniper Course, [43] SCUBA-BUSROC (Basic Underwater Search and Rescue Operations Course), [44] the maritime tactical operation course [45] and the SAF Seaborne Warfare Course (SSWC). [44] For MTOC, SAF operators must have SURESHOCK and Airborne qualifications before being considered. [37]
Training occurs at the unit's headquarters in Cuartel de Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Laguna. [46]
The SAF has conducted cross training with the 1st Special Forces Group. [39] Training was also provided from the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), RAID and Yamam. [47]
As designated by the Philippine National Police, the missions of the Special Action Force are the following: [3] [48]
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Glock 17 |  Austria | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | Standard-issue pistol of the Philippine National Police since 2013. [49] [50] [51] | |
| Taurus TS9 |  Brazil | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | TS9 Striker | Standard-issue pistol of the Philippine National Police since 2019. [52] | |
 | SYS Canik TP9 |  Turkey | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | TP9SF | Alternative standard-issue pistol of the PNP, some were distributed to the SAF. [53] [54] |
 | TİSAŞ Zigana | Turkey | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | Zigana P9L | 168 units received by SAF in 2018. |
 | IWI Masada |  Israel | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | Masada | Alternative standard-issue pistol of the PNP, some were distributed to the SAF. [55] [54] |
 | Beretta 92 |  Italy | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | 92F | Standard-issue pistol of the Philippine National Police. [51] |
 | M1911 pistol |  United States / Philippines | Semi-automatic pistol | .45 ACP | M1911 | Former standard-issue pistol of the Philippine National Police, sourced from US EDA and new Philippine-made units. [56] US-made variants mostly handed-over from the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police. |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | CZ Scorpion Evo 3 |  Czech Republic | Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum | Evo 3A1 | Acquired 72 units, formally received on 7 August 2019. [57] |
 | IWI Tavor X95 | Israel | Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum | X95-S SMG | PNP to acquire 743 units to replace ordered but undelivered Kriss Vector SMGs, several were issued to the PNP-SAF. [58] |
 | Ferfrans SCW | United States | Submachine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO | SCW 7 | Previously known as PDW. AR-15 based but uses a short 7.5" barrel |
 | Heckler & Koch UMP |  Germany | Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum .45 ACP | UMP-9 UMP-45 | [59] |
 | FN P90 |  Belgium | Submachine gun | FN 5.7×28mm | P90 | Acquired in limited numbers. [60] [47] [61] |
 | Heckler & Koch MP5 | Germany / Pakistan | Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum | MP5A3 MP5A5 MP5K | Several sourced from Pakistan. [62] |
 | Uzi | Israel | Submachine gun | 9×19mm Parabellum | Uzi Submachine Gun | Known to be used in the 1980s. [63] |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catma Arms S501 | Turkey | Shotgun | 12 gauge | S 501 | 105 units formally received 9 August 2019. [57] | |
 | Mossberg 500 | United States | Shotgun | 12 gauge | ||
 | Remington Model 870 | United States | Shotgun | 12 gauge |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | M16 rifle | United States / Philippines | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | M16A1 | Current standard-issue rifle, either made by Colt USA or Elisco Tool (Elitool) Philippines. 30,000 units were handed-over to the PNP on loan from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, several are with the PNP-SAF. [64] |
 | IWI Galil ACE | Israel | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | Galil ACE-N 22 | More than 8,000 units acquired by PNP in 2018, [65] [66] some were handed over to the SAF. |
 | FAMAS |  France | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | FAMAS G2 | Acquired in limited numbers in the late 1990s. |
 | IMI Galil | Israel | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | AR SAR | Formerly from the Philippine Constabulary. |
 | M4 carbine | United States / Philippines | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | M4A1 Ferfrans M4A1 | Colt M4A1s acquired from the US. Ferfrans refurbished almost 1,000 units of unserviceable Colt-Elitool M16A1 to specialized M4 standard. [67] Several are used by the PNP-SAF. [51] |
| | FERFRANS SOAR | Philippines | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | SOAR 11 SOAR 14 SOAR-P 11 SOAR-P 14 | Similar to the M4 carbine, developed by FERFRANS using patented components and US-made parts, including a reduced rate of fire and use of a 1:9 twist barrel instead of the usual 1:7 twist on standard M4. SOAR 11 uses an 11.5" barrel, while SOAR 14 uses a 14.5" barrel. SOAR-P is a piston version of the rifle. Used by the SAF. [51] |
| FERFRANS M16PNP11 | Philippines | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | Purchased by the SAF in the 1990s. [68] | ||
 | Emtan MZ-4 | Israel | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | MZ-4P | More than 5,600 units acquired by PNP in 2018, [65] some were handed over to the SAF. |
 | CAR-15 Commando | United States / Philippines | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | M733 M653 M653P | Either made by Colt USA or Elisco Tool (Elitool) Philippines. |
 | Norinco CQ |  China | Semi-automatic rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | CQ-A5 B Model | 5,000 units donated by China to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, passed on to PNP. Some were handed over to SAF. |
 | M14 rifle | United States | Battle rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | M14 | In service with the SAF. [64] Several units will be undergoing repair and upgrade with the Government Arsenal. |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferfrans SOACR | United States | Designated marksman rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | DMR SOACR 18" | Earlier models were called Ferfrans DMR. | |
 | Ferfrans SOPMOD M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle | United States | Designated marksman rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | SOPMOD M14 EBR 18.5" SOPMOD M14 EBR 22" | Built by Ferfrans from existing M14 rifles using Sage International M14/M1A EBR Tactical Stock System aluminum chassis but with an M4 buttstock, delivered in 2008. [69] |
| UDMC F5-DGIS | Philippines | Designated marksman rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | F5-DGIS 20" | 233 rifles delivered in April 2018. [70] 1,760 rifles acquired in May 2019. [71] | |
 | IMI Galil | Israel | Designated marksman rifle / Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | Galatz | In limited numbers. |
 | SR-25 | United States | Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | Mk.11 Mod 0 | [72] |
 | Heckler & Koch PSG1 | Germany | Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | PSG-1 | Limited numbers in service. |
 | Savage 10FP | United States | Sniper rifle | .308 Winchester | Ferfrans TSR Ferfrans TSR2 | 111 units acquired by the PNP, several went to PNP-SAF. Acquired as the Ferfrans TSR2, using the Savage 10FCP base unit with modifications and features added by FERFRANS. [49] [73] [74] |
 | Barrett M82 | United States | Anti-materiel rifle, sniper rifle | .50 BMG | M82A1 | M82A1 in service since the early 1990s. |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | IWI Negev | Israel | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO 7.62x51mm NATO | Negev Negev NG-7 | Standard squad automatic weapon. 320 units of Negev 5.56mm machine guns and 231 units of Negev NG-7 7.62mm machine guns were delivered in early 2018, many were allocated for SAF. 97 more Negev NG-7 7.62mm machine guns were delivered in early 2018, most were provided to the PNP-SAF. [75] [51] |
| Ferfrans HVLAR | United States | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO | HVLAR | Standard squad automatic weapon. | |
 | FN Minimi | Belgium | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO | Minimi Para | [76] |
 | Ultimax 100 |  Singapore | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO | Mark 3 | |
 | S&T Motiv K12 |  Republic of Korea | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | K12 | Acquired by Philippine National Police in 2018 for the Special Action Force. [77] |
 | M60 machine gun | United States | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | M60E3 M60E4 | M60s known to be used. [56] |
 | M240 machine gun | United States | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | M240B | Standard general purpose machine gun. |
| Vektor SS-77 |  South Africa | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | SS-77 | Acquired in limited numbers, mostly mounted on armed vehicles. | |
 | M2 Browning | United States | Heavy machine gun | .50 BMG | M2HB | Tripod and vehicle/boat-mounted. |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | M203 grenade launcher | United States | Grenade launcher | 40mm grenade | M203 M203A1 | Used by the SAF. [78] Attached to M4/M4A1 (M203A1) [79] and M16A1 (M203). |
 | CZ 805 G1 | Czech Republic | Grenade launcher | 40mm grenade | 805 G1 | 69 units formally accepted on 9 August 2019. [57] |
 | M79 grenade launcher | United States | Grenade launcher | 40mm grenade | M79 | Used by the SAF. [56] Also used for non-lethal ammunition for crowd dispersal. |
 | SB-40 LAG |  Spain | Automatic grenade launcher | 40mm grenade | SB-40 LAG | Mounted on tripods, or vehicle mounted on light utility vehicles. |
 | M67 recoilless rifle | United States | Recoilless rifle | 90mm | M67 | In service. [80] |
 | RPG-7 |  Russia /  Serbia | Rocked propelled grenade launcher | 40mm | RBR7 | In service, 26 units acquired in 2020. [81] |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Caliber | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | M6 mortar | Austria | Commando Mortar | 60mm | M6 C-640 Mk.1 | 20 units ordered in 2018, received in 2020. |
 | M75 mortar | Philippines | Mortar | 60mm | M75 | Several units carried over from the Philippine Constabulary. [82] |
 | M29 mortar | United States | Mortar | 81mm | M29 | Several units carried over from the Philippine Constabulary. |
| Picture | Model | Origin | Type | Version | Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cadillac Gage Commando | United States | Armoured personnel carrier | V-150 | 28 Units | Used by the SAF. [83] Although the number of active vehicles might be less. [84] 2 captured by Maute Group fighters in May 2017. [85] |
 | Shladot-MDT Armor Tiger Mk. II | Israel | Armoured personnel carrier | 4x4 LWB | 6 Units | Six acquired in 2019. [86] Armed with cupola-mounted 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine gun. |
 | AM General HMMWV | United States | Armored tactical vehicle | M1114 | unknown | 25 M1114 provided in 2013 shared between the Philippine Army and PNP-SAF. |
| Steelcraft MX-8 Armored Escort Vehicle | Philippines | Armored tactical vehicle | MX-8 Mk. 3 | 1 Unit | The sole Mk.3 prototype is in service with the Philippine National Police. | |
 | CTK Armored Vehicle | Philippines | Armoured personnel carrier | 6W Urban | 3 Units as of April 2020 | Several in PNP-SAF inventory. Based on locally developed bank armored vehicles. Only used on urban operations. |
The list are the directors who had commanded the SAF. [87]
| NAME | RANK | TERM As of February 21, 2019, per the current (2019) rank system, the National Police has no rank holders of Second Lieutenant equivalent. |
|---|---|---|
| Fidel V. Ramos (founder) | Major General | May 9, 1983 (inauguration); The concurrent PC chief/DG-INP |
| Reynaldo Velasco | Lieutenant Colonel | May 16, 1983 – February 13, 1987 |
| Avelino I. Razon Jr. | Major | February 14, 1987 – August 1, 1989 |
| Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. | Police Brigadier General | August 2, 1989 – February 11, 1991 |
| Enrique T. Bulan | Police Brigadier General | February 12, 1991 – March 8, 1992 |
| Dictador L. Alqueza | Police Brigadier General | March 8, 1992 – June 5, 1992 |
| Recaredo A. Sarmiento III | Police Brigadier General | June 6, 1992 – August 2, 1994 |
| Edgar Aglipay | Police Brigadier General | August 2, 1994 – June 6, 1996 |
| Marcelo E. Navarro Jr | Police Brigadier General | June 16, 1996 – August 23, 1998 |
| Jose O. Dalumpines | Police Brigadier General | August 14, 1998 – February 14, 2001 |
| Rogelio B. Bathan | Police Brigadier General | February 14, 2001 – September 13, 2002 |
| Servando M. Hizon | Police Brigadier General | September 14, 2002 – December 27, 2003 |
| Silverio D. Alarcio Jr. | Police Bridgadier General | December 9, 2003 – September 7, 2004 |
| Marcelino F. Franco Jr. | Police Brigadier General | September 9, 2004 – February 26, 2006 |
| Silverio D. Alarcio Jr. | Police Brigadier General | February 24, 2006 – May 16, 2006 |
| Felizardo M. Serapio Jr. | Police Brigadier General | May 16, 2006 – March 2007 |
| Leocadio SC Santiago Jr. | Police Major General | March 2007 – 2010 |
| Catalino S. Cuy | Police Major General | 2011 – June 2012 |
| Carmelo E. Valmoria | Police Major General | June 2012 – December 11, 2013 |
| Getulio P. Napeñas | Police Major General | December 11, 2013 – January 27, 2015 |
| Moro Virgilio Lazo | Police Brigadier General | January 27, 2015 – March 4, 2015 |
| Noli Taliño | Police Major General | March 4, 2015 – January 14, 2019 |
| Amando Clifton B. Empiso | Police Major General | January 14, 2019 – September 9, 2020 |
| Bernabe M. Balba | Police Major General | September 9, 2020 – May 10, 2021 |
| Felipe R. Natividad | Police Major General | May 10, 2021 – March 1, 2022 |
| Patrick T. Villacorte | Police Major General | March 1, 2022 – August 1, 2022 |
| Edgar Allan O. Okubo | Police Major General | August 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023 |
| Rudolph B. Dimas | Police Major General | February 28, 2023 – November 20, 2023 |
| Bernard M. Banac [88] | Police Major General | November 20, 2023 – present |
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