Having coffee with the new PDEA regional director

I HAD the chance to have coffee with the newly assigned Acting Regional Director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for Region 6 the other day. Director (Lt. Col) Edwin F. Layese is a PMA Graduate Class 94 and he tells me he spent his years as a Scout Ranger assigned in Mindanao area like Basilan and Jolo.

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Layese's latest assignment was in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) based in Cotabato City. Prior to this, he was the Regional Director for Region 10 based in Cagayan de Oro City.

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It was a nice coffee chat with the Director as he shared his directions in his role being PDEA Regional Director. He looks at his job as a commitment with dedication and passion. Seeing his risky job, he is a no nonsense man having been in combat for so many years.
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In his task in PDEA, he sees to it that he joins his men and be in the actual operations of their mission ensuring that the tasks are done as planned to ensure that his men do not get tempted to be bribed and corrupted.
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In his first day, he had a mass said at the PDEA office to the surprise of his group. Why? Is this the first time a mass was said in this office, he asked. Yes sir- was the immediate reply.
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The Director of PDEA insists on a Walk-Your-Talk attitude towards his assignment and insists that he joins his men in the combat against drug. His first task is to ensure that his PDEA people undergoes drug test to ensure that his own backyard is clean before he cleans up the backyard of others.
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He is now on his route to pay courtesy calls to elected government officials as a matter of protocol and calls on them to call on him when he is most needed to perform the task of PDEA.
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As a member of the Philippine Army, he sees his retirement from the Army and new assignment in PDEA a challenging one. Director Layese is someone to watch over as he relates how he will be doing his task to cleanse society. Now he is ready for that challenge.