New CPPO chief urges aggressive campaign vs drugs

Senior Supt. Eric Noble (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

THE new director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) yesterday challenged local policemen to revisit their roles and to be always aggressive in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Dapat tayo magalit. Kailangan maibalik natin ang warrior spirit ni Lapu-Lapu (We must be angry. We need to revive the warrior spirit of Lapu-Lapu),” said Senior Supt. Eric Noble during the assumption ceremony at the CPPO quadrangle on Monday afternoon.

“Let us consider illegal drugs as invaders for they invade the minds and hearts of people. I ask for your cooperation. Let us all be in this fight against illegal drugs,” he added.

Noble, the finance comptroller of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Ilocos, replaced Senior Supt. Jose Macanas who was relieved from his post after the latter was named a drug protector by Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

Macanas, who will undergo an investigation, wasn’t present during the ceremony yesterday.

Based on the records, Noble said CPPO did well in the campaign against illegal drugs when Macanas was the director.

“The statistics are good. We just have to make some improvements. I know we will succeed in our campaign,” he said.

He cautioned policemen who are into illegal drugs to stop what they are doing.

“I will treat any police officer who is involved in drugs an enemy. You are committing treason. Just wait. Meron din kayong paglalagyan,” said Noble, who underwent training by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for three months.

Like Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the PRO-7, the 48-year-old Noble also hails from Pangasinan.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy director for operations of PRO-7, said they were surprised with the sudden change of command in CPPO.

“The leadership may change anytime if the situation calls for it. But this happens for a reason. This change we have now is for the best for our provincial police. Cebu is in safe hands,” said Lawas in his speech during the ceremony yesterday.

Macanas was relieved from his post, barely two months after he assumed the position.

The order from Camp Crame did not explain the reason for the relief.

But Taliño said Macanas was among the policemen identified as a drug protector by Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

Taliño said Macanas explained to him that Mayor Espinosa had an axe to grind against him after he arrested the mayor’s son and Eastern Visayas drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. at a cockpit when he was the police director of Ormoc City in Leyte years back.