PRO-7 Director Albert Ignatius Ferro (3rd from left) presents the confiscated firearms to the media on this October 9, 2020 photo. | CDN Digital file photo (Alven Marie Timtim)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Could there be a new director for the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) before 2020 ends?
Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro in a press conference on Monday, November 23, confirmed to reporters that he received verbal orders from Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP), that he would be ordered to leave his post as PRO-7 chief this December.
Ferro said the “verbal orders” came from no other than Police General Debold Sinas, the newly installed PNP chief.
However, the top policeman of Central Visayas said he had yet to receive official communication from Camp Crame.
“The orders are still not in effect officially but I will follow as a good soldier (would). I will follow the directive of our chief,” said Ferro.
Read: Ferro to remain as PRO-7 chief ‘until further notice’
In the meantime, Ferro admitted that he was saddened by the news. If made official, Ferro’s term as PRO-7 director will only span up to 10 months.
“Its really sad that I will be leaving our friends here, but you know, it is for the service of the whole Filipino country then I will be doing that,” he added.
Read: Labella says Ferro played key role in Cebu City’s fight against COVID-19
During his visit here in Cebu last weekend, Sinas lauded Ferro’s leadership in leading police operations against criminality, including the illegal drugs trade, as well as in enforcing health protocols amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Read: Why is illegal drugs still a problem in Central Visayas despite pandemic?
Recently, Ferro was made as an adoptive son by the Cebu City Council for his efforts in peace and order as well as in helping bring down the virus outbreak in the city to manageable levels.
Cebu City was once tagged as the epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 between March and June when it suffered a surge of new COVID-19 cases that led to the healthcare industry here to be overwhelmed.
Read: Council Members make Ferro ‘adopted son’ of Cebu City
PRO-7 was tapped to assist and augment the city’s contact tracing initiatives, which was one of the factors experts said that led to the decrease in the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients. /dbs