“It was challenging and exciting.”
This was how Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas described his stint as chief of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).
After a year and a half, Bañas will be relinquishing his post as PRO-7 chief and will return to Camp Crame.
A turnover ceremony will be held today at Camp Sergio Osmeña where Chief Supt. Manny Gaerlan will be installed as the new PRO-7 chief.
Bañas described Gaerlan “as a good leader who can adapt” to his new post.
BAÑAS
Gaerlan served as the head of venue security during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. A topnotcher of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1985, Gaerlan bagged 12 awards, including Presidential Saber, during graduation.
Before moving to PRO-7, Gaerlan headed the Human Resource and Management in Camp Crame.
“Ituloy niya lang ang magagandang programa natin (He should just continue the good programs we started), especially our anti-illegal drugs campaign. We can do better, so much better for the region and the people and community here in Central Visayas,” Bañas said.
Bañas said he still doesn’t know what post he will be occupying at Camp Crame.
“I was only informed to prepare for a turnover,” Bañas told reporters yesterday.
Bañas ordered an intensified campaign against illegal drugs when he took over as PRO-7 chief.
Under his leadership, 4,892 anti-illegal drug operations were conducted that led to the arrest of 6,679 individuals and confiscation of 27,722.13 grams of shabu with an estimated worth of P307.3 milioon.
The intensified campaign against illegal drugs led to PRO-7 winning for the first time this year the Outstanding Performance against Illegal Drugs and Loose Firearms award.
Bañas said ensuring peace during the APEC meetings in Cebu was one of his challenging roles.
“We showed that we could work as one community. I’m also grateful to the police officers in Central Visayas because they rose to the challenge. They were concerned about the seemingly unsolvable illegal drug problem,” he said.