IN A bid to boost efforts against insurgency, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Camilo Cascolan ordered the transfer of the five Directorate for Integrated Police Operation (DIPO) offices to the regions.
The five DIPO offices are in charge of police operations in Eastern Mindanao, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Western Mindanao.
Cascolan said the DIPO officers and personnel from the Public Safety Battalion and Regional Mobile Force Battalion will hold office in the PNP regional headquarters in these areas.
“They are slowly going out of their offices and going to their respective areas of responsibility so that they would be able to improve inter-coordination and cooperation with the AFP with regard to counter-insurgency and at the same time personally supervise the establishment of their camps. For the meantime, they will be staying in regions,” Cascolan said.
Cascolan earlier assigned the DIPO as the PNP unit which will focus in its anti-insurgency campaign in compliance to the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to end insurgency before his term ends in 2022.
Brigadier General Arnel Escobal, head for Eastern Mindanao, said this will also boost the PNP’s efforts to ensure internal security, and conduct search and rescue operations.
“Kami na ‘yung magiging counterpart ng AFP area commanders when it pertains to internal security operations and also search and rescue operations. Bale our role ay hindi na limited to supervision of RDs (regional directors) in our area,” he said.
“We have a very big role and participation sa NTF Elcac para matapos na within the President's term ang communist insurgency,“ he added.
Brigadier General Manuel Abu, head of DIPO Visayas, said he will be holding office in Negros as it serves as the “center of gravity” on insurgency in the region.
Cascolan said the transfer of the DIPO is also part of the program to decongest Camp Crame.
He said they will also relocate the PNP’s Maritime Group, Logistics Support Service, Special Action Force, Explosive Ordnance Division/K9, Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and Police Security Protection Group (PSPG) to areas where they are needed the most.
Cascolan said they have asked for an additional budget in order to put up their own offices outside Metro Manila. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)