The Philippine National Police has named a new Provincial Director for Negros Oriental effective Thursday, July 7.
PCol. Ronan Claravall was installed as the new Acting Provincial Director, replacing PCol. Alex Guce Recinto who was installed only last March.
Recinto expressed his gratitude for another opportunity to serve the NOPPO, and expressed pride about his accomplishments at the Negros Oriental PNP.
“At this moment, I would just want to express my deepest gratitude for giving me the opportunity to serve Negros Or Provincial Office. The challenges have made me grow, and I’m so proud that I’ve been part of NOPPO. I’m so proud to brag of the accomplishments of this NOPPO. I will not anymore enumerate those accomplishments in terms of numbers and data, in terms of confiscation of firearms and the illegal drugs operation and other operation accomplishments,” Recinto said.
“During our presentation of the Unit Performance of Rating, if you will see the accomplishment of NOPPO, only the fourth place has not been garnered by the NOPPO in terms of operation, and with that, I’m so proud of you. Not only with that situation or from that performance, you can see how NOPPO performed during those challenging times after the [Gov. Roel] Degamo incident,” Recinto said.
Recinto added that the provincial office was tasked with the protection of the witnesses of the Pamplona Massacre where Degamo was killed.
Recinto said he received calls from the witnesses and ensured their security with the NOPPO.
“Those sleepless nights, and reading those cases before attending the Senate hearing, reading the messages because we have power for the witnesses for monitoring them one by one. There were also witnesses who were calling me late nights, telling me they have threats on their lives. With the snappy members of the NOPPO, none of the witnesses have been hurt or have died,” Recinto recalled.
As outgoing provincial director, Colonel Recinto said he hopes to turn over pending projects to the new provincial director: a renovated firing range with a budget of P7.5 million, and a new military lounge, hallway, and a dormitory for prisoner custody, worth P10.5 to 11 billion.
One of the projects that Colonel Recinto accomplished is the newly-renovated church in Barangay Agan-an in Sibulan.
Colonel Recinto said the provincial team is like a “matching stick” that holds the light for the Negrenses, and because of the NOPPO’s efforts of keeping peace in the province, “Negros Oriental will have a brighter future and will acquire peace and prosperity in the coming years.”
“We have chosen to strive, and we have chosen to hold on in order to have a light in this Province. We have started the light, and that small light symbolizes the beacon of hope in this Province. I, for one, am not a Negrense, but when I step down from the place, I promised to myself that I will do my best to help fight injustice for everyone, and you would be the judge for that,” he said.
PColonel Claravall, the new Acting Provincial Director, said that despite the recent challenges faced by the provincial office, he is thankful for the trust and confidence that the organization has bestowed upon him.
“I am further taking the challenge to make Negros Oriental a safe place to live and work, and I fully accept the position of being the acting provincial director of Negros Oriental,” Claravall said.
PNP also designated PCol Dyan Agustin as force commander of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.
The memorandum was signed by Police Maj. General Robert Rodriguez. (Regina Lleno & Justynne Keigh Dano/SU Masscom interns)
