ZAMBOANGA Peninsula Regional Office has installed a new police officer to head the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO).
Zamboanga Peninsula Police Deputy Regional Director for Operations Mario Yanga installed Senior Superintendent Edwin De Ocampo on Saturday to replace Senior Superintendent Amador Corpus, who has assumed as provincial director of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office in Luzon.
Yanga was assisted by Mayor Celso Lobregat, who has chosen De Ocampo to replace Corpus.
Lobregat said he chose de Ocampo from a list submitted to him by Police Regional Director Angel Sunglao for various reasons.
“One is that he did not have any inkling or ambition to become the City Police Director, sometimes that is a positive and plus point,” Lobregat said.
“Also, De Ocampo is considered to be from here (Zamboanga), he has been assigned in this city for a very long time and is married to a Zamboangueña,” he added.
With de Ocampo’s assumption as officer-in-charge of the ZCPO, several other changes took place at the local police command.
Chief Inspector Rodrigo Maramo, former chief of the Zamboanga City Public Safety Management Company (ZCPSMC), assumed as the OIC Police Director of Isabela City; Superintendent Albert Larubis, former police director of Isabela City, has assumed as chief of the Operations Division of the ZCPO; Chief Inspector Joemari Albarico, former Police Station 6 chief, has assumed as chief of the ZCPSMC; while Chief Inspector Haywen Salvado, former ZCPO Operations Branch chief, has assumed as Police Station 6 chief.
The changes at the police had to take place Saturday, a day before the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) come under the operation and control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as part of the necessary procedures prior to the May 10 polls.
Lobregat said De Ocampo’s assumption as OIC of the ZCPO is a major challenge and a major break in the police officer’s career.
He urged the ZCPO officers and personnel to throw their full support to De Ocampo.
“Nobody can succeed in his task as OIC ZCPO director without the cooperation and support of the police officers and men,” he added.
Yanga said the formal turnover ceremony installing De Ocampo as OIC police director will be set next week upon the return of Corpus from Tarlac. (Bong Garcia)