Special Action Force

Special Action Force
Special Action Force Official Insignia
Active	May 16, 1983 - Present
Country	Philippines
Allegiance	Republic of the Philippines
Branch	Philippine Constabulary Philippine National Police
Type	Special Forces
Role	Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement, Raids, Commando-type Unconventional Warfare
Size	Classified
Part of	Philippine National Police
Garrison/HQ	(Main) - Fort Sto. Domingo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna (Camp) - Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, Metro Manila
Nickname(s)	SAF, Tagaligtas (Saviors)
Motto(s)	"By skill and virtue, we triumph"
Colors	Black berets - SAF beret
Anniversaries	16 May
Engagements	Anti-guerrilla and terrorist operations against: New People's Army Moro National Liberation Front Moro Islamic Liberation Front Abu Sayyaf Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters Jemaah Islamiyah Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant New Bilibid Prison War against drugs
Decorations	Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge
Commanders
Current commander	Police Director Moro Virgilio Lazo
Insignia
PNP SAF Badge

Anti-guerrilla and terrorist operations against:

The Special Action Force is the National Mobile Unit of the Philippine National Police founded by Fidel V. Ramos. It is formed along the lines of the British Army (SAS) Special Air Service, but with different recruitment and selection procedures. The SAF, over the years, has received training from the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Critical Incident Response Group, RAID and YAMAM. The Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) of the PNP-SAF is responsible for nationwide Police Counter-terrorism (CT) operations nationwide.

Members or Police trainees who undergo SAF training undergo several special military combat related training such as Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Basic Airborne Course training, Urban Counter Revolutionary Warfare (SURESHOCK), SCUBA-BUSROC (Basic Under-Water Search and Rescue Operations Course) and Unconventional Warfare (COMMANDO course).

SAF members who are distributed either regionally or within Metro Manila are furthermore assigned to SRU or SWAT training units and PNP SCOUT training units. SAF operators are trained at their camp at Fort Sto. Domingo with its Air Unit stationed at the PNP Hangar in Pasay City.

The SAF has an official magazine known as "Tagaligtas".

Created on May 12, 1983 by the former Philippine Constabulary as the Philippine Constabulary Special Action Force as a requirement of General Order 323 of Philippine Constabulary Headquarters, Fidel Ramos and Renato de Villa were the founders of the unit. De Villa asked Col. Rosendo Ferrer and Gen. Sonny Razon to organize a Special Action Force. After which, a training program called the SAF Ranger Course, was used to train the 1st generation of SAF operators, which had a number of 149 operatives. Out of them, 26 were known commissioned officers with the others being enlisted personnel from a wide range of PC units such as the defunct 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 Constabulary Off-shore Action Command (COSAC) and other PC Units. Later on, they changed the name of the course to the SAF Commando Course.