PNP prepares for bigger law enforcement role as Army brigade pulls out

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 6): PNP prepares for bigger law enforcement role as Army brigade pulls out

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental is ready to take on an expanded law enforcement role as changes in the Philippine Army deployment in the province will soon be implemented.

This, as the 302nd Infantry “Spearhead” Brigade of the Philippine Army, based in Tanjay City, is scheduled to pull out next week and will be deployed to Bohol province.

OIC provincial police director Sr. Supt. Dionard Carlos disclosed Friday that once the 302nd Brigade pulls out, the Negros Oriental PNP will have a larger coverage area as far as law enforcement is concerned.

He assured, however, there will be no vacuum left in the internal security operations as the 79th Infantry Battalion and the 11th Infantry Battalion will remain in Negros Oriental.

Both battalions will now be under the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Negros Occidental.

The PNP’s function is to simply extend its law enforcement to areas previously affected by the insurgency but which the Army had cleared recently, Carlos said.

He further explained there is no formal handover of areas from the Philippine Army to the PNP, the former still taking the lead and the latter still playing a support role in the anti-insurgency campaign of government.

Last week, a review pertaining to intensified internal security operations was conducted by PNP Directorate of Operations from Camp Crame on the improvement in the deployment plans of the police here, said Carlos.

Officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines had earlier assured that once the province is declared insurgency free by December, Army units will still be deployed in certain areas.

Sr. Supt. Carlos is hopeful the PNP hierarchy will allow the deployment of another maneuver company in addition to the existing Provincial Public Safety Company to take on the law enforcement role in areas cleared of insurgency.

The Regional Public Safety Battalion-7, meanwhile, is also expected to send additional troops to the province, he said.

In a related development, the 79th IB will be holding its Pinning/Donning of Ranks Ceremony and a ceremonial turnover of newly issued R4 rifles on Sunday.

Governor Roel Degamo and Maj. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, chief of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in the Visayas, will be leading the ceremonies.

Highlighting the activity is the launching of the 79th IB’s photo contest this December which banners the theme “A Transformed Army”.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=824191