By Bobby Q. Labalan
SORSOGON CITY, Feb. 18 (PNA) — Coup plotters, whoever they are, have no place in Bicol Region.
This was the stern warning issued by Chief Supt. Victor Deona, Bicol regional police director, after a coordination meeting with top military commanders in Sorsogon province held at Camp Salvador Escudero, Sr. this city on Tuesday.
Present in the meeting were Col. Cesar Idio, commanding officer of the Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade based in Castilla, Sorsogon; Lt. Col. Beerjenson Aquino, commanding officer of the 31st Infantry Battalion stationed at Barangay Anog, Juban town, also in Sorsogon; as well as top police officers led by Senior Supt. Bernard Banac, Sorsogon police director.
Deona said they will not allow anyone plotting to overthrow the government, especially from among their ranks, to roam the region, adding that the police and military are closely monitoring the situation and that no dissenters have been monitored among their personnel.
Idio and Aquino agreed with Deona as they confirmed that none of their men would ever join any destabilization move.
The police director said policemen in the region continue to have high morale despite the Mamasapano incident even as they mourned the death of the 44 brave members of the Special Action Force (SAF) who perished in the operation.
“It should not distract us from our jobs,” he said.
Police forces continue to do their job and they do it excellently as shown by the recent successful raids against persons involved in illegal drugs, the police director said.
Deona was referring to the joint raids conducted by various police units on a shabu laboratory in Masbate City last Feb. 14 wherein a former mayor and a provincial board member were among those arrested.
This was followed by another successful anti-drug operation in Camarines Norte wherein police confiscated 274 grams of shabu.
He reiterated his call on all municipal police station commanders to perform well in their duty so that they will be spared from being relieved of their posts.
Under Deona’s leadership, the Bicol police office has been implementing since last year the Target Output Policy, which set monthly targets concentrated on three major areas that include crime solution, crime prevention and law enforcement which is focused on illegal fishing, illegal gambling, illegal logging, illegal firearms and illegal drugs.
Chiefs of police who failed to meet the targets were immediately relieved and sent to a refresher course and those who would get relieved thrice will no longer be allowed to handle a police command, Deona stressed.
This policy is unique to Bicol and is aimed at instilling excellent performance among policemen in the region, he said.
Also discussed in the meeting were several cases of killings in the province, Deona added. (PNA)