Gov. Agustin Perdices has announced his choice for the next provincial police director of Negros Oriental in the person of Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas.
Perdices made the announcement to the local media this week although the appointment of Lawas has yet to be made official by the Philippine National Police hierarchy.
Lawas was among the three senior police officers nominated in a list submitted to the governor for review.
The two others are Sr. Supt. Constantino Barot and Sr. Supt. Edgar Pataan.
Perdices had earlier disclosed that he was considering both Barot and Lawas for the position in lieu of outgoing provincial police director Sr. Supt. Augusto Marquez, Jr., who has already an extended tour of duty in Negros Oriental after having stayed here for more than two years.
The governor had admitted in a radio interview early this week that his first choice was Barot, however, even before he could make a decision to pick him, Barot had already been appointed as the new provincial police director of Bohol.
Perdices, who had a closed door meeting with Lawas last Monday, further said in that radio interview that even though Lawas was his second choice, he described it as “destiny” the way he unexpectedly became the governor of the province after Governor-elect Emilio Macias II died last June.
Meanwhile, Sr. Supt. Lawas said that it does not matter whether he was just the second choice of the governor as it is an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve Negros Oriental, which he already considers his home.
Lawas said some people may have interpreted the governor’s pronouncements in a different manner, but what is important is that he is willing to deliver what is expected of him and serve the mandate of the people.
Furthermore, his previous assignments at varied positions in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental have helped him establish good rapport with the officials and the people, plus he is familiar with the terrain.
Lawas, who originally hails from Compostela, Cebu province, is married to Dumagueteña, Janine Flores, who now heads the Land Transportation Office in Bais City, with whom he has two children.
He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy Class 1987 and had first served in Negros Oriental immediately after graduation as a young lieutenant in the then Philippine Constabulary’s Regional Special Action Force.
Other previous positions he held included being police chief of Dumaguete, commander of what is now the 705th Provincial Mobile Group, chief of the PNP Region 7 Firearms, Explosives, Security Agencies and Guards Supervisory Section (FESAGSS) and deputy provincial police director of Negros Oriental, next in command of Sr. Supt. Marquez, Jr.
Lawas is currently the battalion commander of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (formerly the Regional Mobile Group) in Region 7.
He was a recipient of the prestigious Top 10 COPS award, or the Country’s Outstanding Policemen in Service, in 2003, and also earned a Hall of Fame slot for bagging the country’s best FESAGSS award for three consecutive years. The FESAGSS-7 was excluded on the fourth year of competition after the grand slam award it had received.
The most recent achievement for Lawas was when the RPSB-7 was awarded this year as the Best PNP Maneuver Unit in the country, the award of which was given by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo early this year during the PNP’s founding anniversary.
No date has yet been set for the turn-over of command and installation of Lawas pending official appointment from the PNP hierarchy. (PNA) JFP
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