The newly-minted regional director of the Philippine National police has made Bohol as the first province where he made an official visit. Incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Director Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, Jr. came to Bohol Friday as his first official visit right after assuming his post in Central Visayas Gen. Garbo paid a courtesy call on Gov. Edgar Chatto last Friday with Col. Louie Oppus, regional PNP chief for operations, and Provincial PNP Director Constantino Paul Barot, Jr. to gladly inform the governor that Bohol is still 100% insurgency-free. Garbo further told Gov. Chatto that he just came from a joint peace and order coordinating team meeting in Lapu-lapu City but hastily departed from Cebu to honor his scheduled appointment with the governor.

The increasing problem on cyber sex crimes is “beginning to be a top priority project of the PNP because of the increasing number of sex-related crimes using high-tech equipment and gadgets,” said Gen Garbo. Moreover, Bohol’s tourism, said Garbo, is the Philippines’ only chance of making a major breakthrough to be known globally; and considering this, more attention should be given to police visibility in tourist-infested areas of the province. Garbo informed the governor that he, personally, has been promoting Bohol as an avid diver, and has been going around the island visiting the province’s “virgin places.” He further said that there are only 14 tourist destinations accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and that the islands of Bohol and Boracay have been lauded as models for tourist police visibility.

However, the PNP General admits that there is now a major problem in his agency’s recruitment for oftentimes, many applicants fail in neuro-psychiatric tests, a very important factor in law enforcement; which explains the decreasing number of police personnel in the country. But, Garbo also said, that he greatly admires Boholanos for the people’s ingenuity in “creating” tourist attractions like the Butterfly Station in Bilar and the “baksan” in Alburquerque and Maribojoc. Adding to this, the general is also very keen on following established protocol during drug-busting and other crime-related operations wherein, he says, a serious problem lies because some law enforcement agencies do not see eye to eye.

Gen. Garbo cited that the services of the Supercat Fast Ferry Corporation should be emulated by Bohol for its excellent security measures where CCTV cameras are being strategically positioned to get pictures of all incoming and outgoing passengers. “Maybe the governor can issue an ordinance to this effect,” suggested Garbo, in which Chatto readily gave his assent. (jlv/EDCom)