LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Cordillera’s new acting police director has vowed to continue upholding the trademark of the regional police as the home of the most disciplined cops in the country.
Newly-installed Police Regional Office-Cordillera director, B/Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan, said the regional command has set a standard for other regional police offices to aspire.
“Kung ano ang ginagawa natin sa Cordillera ginagaya nila sa ibang lugar. Tulad iyang ‘Cordillera, home of the most disciplined cops.’ nahahawa iyong ibang region because they know that there is a place in the Philippines na merong most disciplined cops,” Pagkalinawan said.
The acting director took over the PRO-Cor leadership from B/Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson during turnover rites on Feb.4 at Camp Bado Dangwa.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, Pagkalinawan said going back to PRO-Cor is an unfinished business for him, citing the groundwork they have started on anti-insurgency prior to the implementation of the Executive Order 70 in the regional office.
EO 70 seeks to institute a “whole of nation” approach in addressing communist insurgency, which created this administration’s program called National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
Pagkalinawan worked with the municipalities of Mountain Province in coming up with resolutions condemning the New Peoples Army when he served as the deputy regional director for operations from March to August 2017 and when he also served as the deputy regional director for administration from August 2017 to May 2019.
“If we could make them (rebels) surrender without firing a single shot, then perhaps the battle is no longer in the mountains, but in the social media and that’s what I intend to do,” he said.
Pagkalinawan, husband of broadcast journalist Pia Hontiveros, said he would tap the expertise of the latter to assist in training PRO-Cor’s police community relations officers in their strengthened fight against insurgency through social media.
Prior to being the region’s top cop, he served as the PNP Maritime group director for 10 months.
Dickson will take over as head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations for Visayas.
Dickson thanked all the local government executives for assisting him and the agencies for supporting him during his term of leadership.
“I know I have competent people doing their job and helping me. I am proud that I am part of the Cordillera, the home of the most illustrious Cordillera police,” Dickson said.
M/Gen. Gilberto Cruz, Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon head and the guest of honor during the turnover, lauded the outgoing PRO-Cor chief. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 27, 2024
