New top cop pitches community engagement versus insurgency

From the Sun Star-Pampanga (Nov 9, 2019): New top cop pitches community engagement versus insurgency

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Newly-installed acting regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Luzon pitched for intensified community engagement to win the fight against insurgency.

“Central Luzon remains a major flashpoint for communist insurgency and in the white area operation. In recent years, insurgency was limited only to fighting the armed component of the enemies. We will take advantage of the potentials of community engagement to prevent industries from being infiltrated by communist agitators and insulate the youth from falling prey to the New People’s Army recruitment,” Police Brigadier General Rhodel Sermonia said during Tuesday’s Assumption of Command Ceremony.

Under his command, PRO-Central Luzon will implement the Joint Industrial Peace and Concern Office (Jipco) in the different economic zones from Subic to Clark to Mariveles and in areas of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija where industries are prevalent and labor unions are many.

“With Jipco, we are there to promote the morale and welfare of the labor sector and of course, protect the interest of every investor doing business in our area of responsibility,” he said.

Sermonia will also implement the Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo which is a program that will protect the youth sector particularly the students in the different universities and school campuses.

“We are now implementing this nationwide in partnership with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. The program trains student-leaders for them to influence their fellow youth away from illegal drugs and the evils of communism and terrorism,” Sermonia said.

“Region III is considered a tourist destination area because of the pristine beaches and historic places that can be visited by both local and foreign tourists. That is why I want a program that will protect these tourist destinations. We want to protect the environment and secure the tourists through KaligKasan or Kaligtasan at Kalikasan Program,” he furthered.

In addressing the issues and concerns of the Urban Poor that are usually being used by the communist terrorist group, Sermonia plans to reinvent the Pulis Natin Caravan to an Expanded Caravan involving the other agencies of the government like the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) as well as the private sector so that people will feel not only the frontline services of the police but also all the services coming from the government.

Lastly, Sermonia sought to implement in Central Luzon the Rektang Konek Aksyon Agad program of the national headquarters where people can directly relay their concerns to the police for immediate action.

It is live from Monday to Friday, at 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. through radio, TV, and social media.

“Rektang Konek Aksyon Agad program seeks to protect not only our kababayans here but more so those abroad from being influenced by the front organizations of communist terrorists,” Sermonia furthered.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Makatao Class of 1989, Sermonia previously served as Deputy Director of the Directorate for Police Community Relations and Director of Police-Community Relations Group. He was also Provincial Director of Bataan from October 2014 to July 2016.

He replaced Police Brigadier General Joel Napoleon M. Coronel who is the new head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco F. Gamboa served as presiding officer of the Assumption of Command Ceremony.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1831244