New Soccsksargen top cop assumes post

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 5, 2021): New Soccsksargen top cop assumes post (By Richelyn Gubalani)

TOP COP. Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, the newly designated director of the Police Regional Office-12, vowed on Friday (Nov. 5, 2021) to continue the innovations and build on the gains and accomplishments of the regional police office, especially in terms of maintaining peace and order. Tagum formally took over the post from Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria in a ceremony presided by Philippine National Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar at the regional police headquarters in Barangay Tambler, General Santos City. (PNA photo by Richelyn Gubalani)

Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum assumed on Friday as the new director of the Police Regional Office in Soccsksargen (Region 12).

Tagum, who previously served as director of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Highway Patrol Group (HPG), formally took over the post from Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria in a ceremony held at the regional police headquarters in Barangay Tambler here.

The change of command was personally presided by PNP Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, and witnessed by top government officials in the region.

In his speech, Tagum committed to continue the innovations started by Dubria and build on the gains and accomplishments of the regional police office these past years.

These include the continuing expansion and development of the PRO-12 headquarters, the institutionalization of the PNP’s internal cleansing program, and the enhancement of the operational capabilities of police offices and stations.

Tagum, who hails from Kidapawan City and had served various posts in the area, said he is “deeply honored and felt so blessed” to be back in the region.

He appealed for support from local government leaders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of their mandate to “serve and protect our people”.

“I will count on all friends among the political leaders in the region to help us achieve our objectives of maintaining the peace and order in their respective localities,” he said.

Tagum said he will sustain the crusade started by President Rodrigo Duterte against criminality, corruption, terrorism, and illegal drugs.

He vowed to tap more local stakeholders to serve as force multipliers in protecting communities in the region’s four provinces and four cities as well as in the continuing fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Soccsksargen comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, and Kidapawan.

The official acknowledged that they will be facing various challenges in the coming months, especially in the run-up to May 2022 local and national elections but assured that they will be ready for it.

Prior to his PNP-HPG stint, Tagum served as city director of Davao City and provincial director of North Cotabato. He is a member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Tagapagkalinga Class of 1991.

Dubria, who is also a former Davao City police director, assumed the region’s top police post at the onset of the Covid-19 spread in the region in May last year.

He has been designated as the new chief of the Directorate for Intelligence at the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1158917