FORMER Danao City Police Station Chief Police Colonel Maribel Getigan is now the new and first-ever female director of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).
Getigan formally received her marching orders during the turnover ceremony held at the MCPO’s headquarters in Camp Demetrio Mendoza Cortes, Barangay Centro on Friday, August 25, 2023.
The ceremony was witnessed by Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Brigadier General Anthony Aberin and Mandaue City Councilor and chairman of the committee on peace and order Oscar del Castillo.
In his speech, former MCPO police chief Colonel Jeffrey Caballes described his one year and 22 days of service at the MCPO as “mission accomplished.”
He lauded all the MCPO personnel for the unity they showed, which he said paved the way for all the achievements of the police department during his leadership, such as the MCPO’s consecutive lead in the unit performance evaluation rating of the region from September to November 2022 and the recent rescue of a kidnapped 8-year-old Filipino-Korean girl in Barangay Bakilid, less than three hours after her abduction.
Caballes will now head the Logistics Division of the PRO 7.
New chief
Getigan said she had mixed emotions when she learned of her new assignment to lead the MCPO.
She said she will continue the programs started by Caballes following the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) five-focused agendas which include personnel morale and welfare, community engagement, integrity enhancement, Information and Communication Technology Development, and aggressive and honest law enforcement operations.
“Do not underestimate women. What men can do, women also can,” said Getigan.
She also vowed to strengthen the MCPO’s daily foot and mobile patrol and checkpoints, among other security measures.
Getigan is a member of the Philippine National Police Academy’s Magilas class of 2000. She served as Danao City Police Station Chief for two years and also became the head of the Logistics Division of PRO Region 6. (HIC)