THE stepped-up crackdown of the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) against all forms of lawlessness including illegal drugs and firearms in Eastern Visayas has been lauded as a vital cog in spurring investors’ confidence in the region which is 2nd home to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr., the Journal Group learned yesterday.

Much of the credit has been given to the PRO8 headed by Brigadier General Bernard M. Banac who got the top Eastern Visayas police post last February. As PRO8 director, Banac led his men in ensuring a generally peaceful conduct of the May 9 presidential elections in the region where PBBM scored a landslide victory.

President Marcos traces half of his roots in Tacloban City where his mother, former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos was born.

The PRO8 so far is ensuring that there will be genuine peace and order in the region amid its Regional Development Plan aimed at creating development at the center of socioeconomic development strategy, specifically by creating more jobs, improving social services, encouraging innovation and connecting the countryside to growth centers as these will greatly reduce poverty and accelerate development in rural areas.

The PRO8, with the support of the Armed Forces is helping address criminality and New People’s Army insurgency in the region. It has been cited for providing Eastern Visayas a much safer and peaceful environment while ensuring that justice will be served to all.

The regional police force has also greatly improved its crime solution efficiency due to intensified police operations, increased police presence in crime-prone areas and protection of vital installations including seaports, airports and other transportation hubs and major places of convergence.

The PRO8 also remains in constant alert to prevent the possible entry in the region of lawless elements including terror groups from the Southern Philippines.

It has also made major strides in combating communist insurgency in the region although there are times when its men have fallen victims to surprise NPA attacks like that July 17 incident wherein a rookie cop was shot and killed by the rebels as the victim and his colleagues were engaged in a humanitarian activity in a poor community in Gandara, Samar.

PNP Officer-in-Charge, Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr. has led the PNP mourning for the late Patrolman Mark Monge who became the 309th policeman to be killed in the line of duty since 2016.

Of the number, 59 were shot dead while performing anti-narcotics operations, 161 died in anti-criminality campaigns while 91 perished as a result of counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism drives.

Banac said that Monge was among the members of the 804th Maneuver Company of the Eastern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company who encountered around 10 heavily-armed NPA guerrillas while conducting humanitarian activity at the areas of San Nicolas, San Jose de Buan and Barangay Mabuhay in Gandara, Samar two Saturdays ago.

According to the Eastern Visayas police director, the officers led by Lt. Mark Mhon Amistoso were treacherously fired upon by the leftist gunmen who were hiding in the bushes.

The lawmen returned fire and force the rebels to flee on foot after a 5-minute firefight. However, Pat. Monge was badly wounded during the clash and died while being taken to a local hospital.

Banac said the NPA group was believed to have suffered an undetermined number of casualties during the gunfight.

The NPA attack came amid the government declaration of more insurgency-free towns and municipalities in the region.

Banac said they are intensifying their crackdown against criminality by conducting regular week-long simultaneous anti-criminality law enforcement operations across the region.

Those operations have netted hundreds of persons involved in illegal drugs, fishing, logging and gambling as well as those in possession of loose firearms and explosives.

Over 1,100 loose firearms in Eastern Visayas region have been seized by the PRO8 since last January n line with its stepped-up crackdown against illegal guns that could be used to sow violence in the region, the Journal Group learned.

“We have accounted for a total of 1,144 loose firearms in the region from January to June this year alone as a result of our intensified anti-criminality effort particularly aimed at accounting for all illegal weapons and partisan armed groups in Eastern Visayas,” said Banac.

The PRO8 is responsible for keeping peace and order in the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte as well as Tacloban City and Ormoc City. The highly-urbanized City of Tacloban is the Eastern Visayas Regional Center.

In a report to Danao, the PRO8 director said they conducted a total of 1,197 operations against illegal firearms in the region since last June which resulted in the arrest of 117 suspects who are now all facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013.

Banac said that thru their intensified Oplan: Katok which aims to remind holders of firearms with expired licenses to renew their registration papers, a total of 1,017 gun -holders surrendered their weapons to the local police for safekeeping until their permits are renewed.

During the first six months of the year, the official said their anti-criminality operations led in the recovery of 126 illegal firearms and the surrender of 1,017 others.

The PRO8 director said that to date, they have filed 36 criminal cases for violation of RA 10591 against the 117 suspects arrested as a result of the crackdown.

The official said he has also ordered his men to further intensify their campaign against illegal drugs and firearms and organized criminal groups in the region amid an order by Lt. Gen. Danao and Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos to ‘clean the streets’ of criminality.

Last week, members of the Catbalogan City Police Station in Samar arrested a 31-year old jobless man for illegal possession of drugs and ammunition. Robert Pajanonot was placed under arrest after a search of his residence in Purok 6, Barangay Canlapwas resulted in the seizure of five heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, several drug paraphernalia and an M-16 live ammunition, said Catbalogan City Police Station chief, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan O. del Rosario.

Del Rosario, joined by a team of Catabalogan City police intelligence operatives led by Captain Niño Cabañas raided the suspect’s house on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 issued by Catbalogan City Executive Judge Cicero Lampasa .

“Apart from the drugs, recovered during the raid were several drug paraphernalia including disposable lighters, a syringe and used aluminum foils,” del Rosario said.

The suspect was placed under arrest and taken to the local police station after being apprised of his Constitutional rights and the provision of Republic Act 9745 otherwise known as the Anti-Torture Law.

Banac commended the Catbalogan City police force for their latest anti-crime accomplishment amid their intensified effort to keep the Eastern Visayas region free from all forms of criminality 24/7.

He also lauded his men for maintaining the region’s significant accomplishment in fighting lawlessness and criminality. “Our cops are devoted to uphold peace and order. This is just one of the various ways of showing that your cops are ready at all times to prevent crimes and violence,” the member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Tanglaw Diwa’ Class of 1992 said.