ANDA, Bohol – Anda Mayor Metudio “Dodong” Amper wants to put in place peace and order first before anything else, believing that there can be no development if disorder prevails. And his police chief P/Insp Tomasita P. CAriño assured that the peace and order situation here is in “manageable level,” based on her report during the “Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis” (TSIP) hosted by Mayor Amper and initiated by Col. Dennis Agustin, provincial police director, on April 14. The newly-formed Bohol Provincial Police Press Corps with some 20 mediamen headed by Sunday Post editor Michael Ortega Ligalig, a native here, attended the TSIP. PSSupt. Dennis Agustin and police chiefs of the towns of Anda, Tagbilaran City, Jagna, Guindulman, Candijay, Mabini and Valencia attended the TSIP presscon. Philippine Information Agency provincial information manager Rey Chiu also attended and moderated the question-and-answer hour.

Mayor Amper told the press that he also assured police leadership here that he will not meddle on police matters. He pledged that he'll pitch his all-out support for the police force as long as they perform their respective duties. This town was once a sleepy part of the province and lorded over by another Amper for more than two decades. But development in terms of the town's bountiful agriculture and tourism assets came in a snail pace or none at all, according to residents of Anda. As can be gleaned from Cariño's report, this town is indeed peaceful during the first quarter of the year, and the police wanted to sustain this all throughout. There was zero incidence of illegal logging and one each for illegal drugs, illegal gambling and illegal possession of firearms, the report said. Three wanted persons were arrested and two for illegal fishing, the report noted. This feat maybe attributed to sustained police visibility and regular mounting of check points in strategic areas. Police here work in stride to realize modernization program and its police building as planned. Police force in Anda are composed of 21 men in uniform ready to protect and serve the 20,610 Andahanons residing in 16 barangays, half of which seat on the white sand coastlines. (Ric V. Obedencio)