Drug war, catching dirty cops top new CPPO chief’s to-do list

Senior Supt. Edgar Alan Okubo (right) assumes as the new Cebu Provincial Police Office director replacing Senior Supt. Eric Noble (left) during a turnover ceremony at the CPPO headquarters in Sudlon, Cebu City. Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino (center) attended the event.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Saying it was a dream come true for him to be assigned in the Visayas region, the new director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) vowed to step up its campaign against all forms of criminality, particularly illegal drugs.

In his first day in office, Senior Supt. Edgar Alan Okubo said they will focus on monitoring the ports and coastal areas to prevent the entry of illegal drugs.

“We are winning in our war on drugs as manifested in the decrease in crime rate. Rest assured that the program started by my predecessor will be continued under my watch,” Okubo said in a message he delivered during the turnover of command at the Cebu Provincial Police Office headquarters on Friday morning.

The 47-year-old native of Baguio City replaced Senior Supt. Eric Noble who was appointed police attaché in California.

Okubo assured the public that the police will respect human rights under his watch.

“(We were) reminded to follow the rule of law and police operational procedures. We need to be careful although taking the necessary safety precautions does not mean we will be slowing down in our anti-drugs campaign,” he said.

Part of the programs Okubo will focus on is running after police scalawags.

“We need to get rid of these police officers,” he said.

Noble, for his part, appealed to Cebuanos to help the police in continuing the fight against illegal drugs.

“When I started my assignment here in Cebu a year ago, I asked my men to follow Lapu-Lapu. Now, I ask the grandchildren of Lapu-Lapu to continue the fight against illegal drugs. We need the help of all sectors, including the community,” he said.

Okubo before CPPO

Okubo was the former chief of the Regional Public Safety Battalion in Ilocos Region before he was transferred to his present post. He was also a former director of the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) in Region 1 and a former intelligence chief of the Police Regional Office 1.

In a statement, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III lauded Noble for his anti-criminality efforts in the province and expressed hope that the new provincial police director would be as active and effective as his predecessor.

“We congratulate him (Noble) for his inspiring leadership. And we look forward to working with Senior Supt. Okubo,” Davide said in a statement read by Ivy Durano Meca, chief of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drugs Abuse Office (CPADAO).

“The fight against illegal drugs is a shared responsibility. It can’t be fought by words alone. It can only be defeated by actions, not just actions, but strong and purposeful actions. Unless we are resolute and determined, we can’t defeat the scourge of illegal drugs and neutralize its machinery,” he added.

Present during the ceremony were different police officials led by Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

In a separate interview, Espino ordered Okubo to continue their relentless campaign against illegal drugs.

Espino also added that the new provincial director should also continue the programs initiated by Noble.

“Dapat ma-continue yung projects ni Senior Supt. Noble kasi dun natin nakita how active ang kampanya sa demand reduction (He should continue the projects of Senior Supt. Noble because we can see how active their campaign against demand reduction of illegal drugs),” Espino said.

He also asked Okubo to tap non-government organizations to help them in their drug abuse educational program and for rehabilitation programs.