BRIG. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro will be replaced as director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 next month.

Ferro will be assigned in Camp Crame to head one of the units there.

Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Debold Sinas gave him a verbal order about his promotion during the former’s visit to Cebu on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. However, Ferro said he will wait for a formal order from Sinas, adding that he is prepared to go where the police chief tells him to.

“I will follow as a good soldier. I will follow the directive of our chief,” Ferro said.

The PRO 7 director said the thought of leaving Central Visayas saddened him, especially since he has accomplished a lot since he took over from Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon last February.

Ferro said the PRO 7 was instrumental in containing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the region. By intensifying their contact tracing efforts in the weeks after Cebu City was called the epicenter of the disease in the country, the number of cases finally went down.

Even at the height of the health crisis, he said his men continued to wage war against illegal drugs, netting hundreds of millions worth of shabu in several operations.

“It’s really sad that I will be leaving our friends here, but you know it is for the service of the whole Filipino country,” Ferro said.

During Sinas’ visit over the weekend, he praised Ferro for the latter’s achievements, especially in the war against illegal drugs, which is a flagship project of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Cebu City Council recently honored Ferro as an adopted son of the City “for his service and leadership in ensuring the health, safety, security and the peace and order of the City of Cebu.” (AYB / PJB)