BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
P/Col. Joseph Thomas Martir, a multi-awardee police commissioned officer, yesterday assumed command of the Bacolod City Police Office.
Martir replaced P/Col. Manuel Placido, who served as BCPO director, exactly for one year on October 1.
Placido and Martir are both graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy, belonging to Class 1995.
Martir is no stranger to his assignment at BCPO, as he used to command the Police Stations 2 and 4, while he was still junior police commissioned officer.
A native of Bacolod City, Martir was adjudged as Best Senior Police Commissioned for Operations nationwide in 2019, while he was still the Zamboanga City Police Office director, in recognition of anti-drug campaign and law enforcement operations.
The Zamboanga City Police Office, under his stint, was also adjudged as Best City Police Office in Region 9.
Prior to his appointment as BCPO OIC, Martir also served as chief of the Police Security Protection Group 6 stationed at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City for 11 months.
He also served for two years as director of the Zamboanga City Police Office, commander of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6, and a police chief of different city police stations in Negros Occidental.
Martir yesterday said that heightened police visibility operations and anti-drug campaign are among his priorities while serving as BCPO chief.
Placido, on the other hand, said he is up for occupying a key position at Camp Crame.
Meanwhile, P/Col. Roderick Augustus Alba yesterday assumed his new position as the new spokesman of the Philippine National Police.
Alba used to be the assigned at BCPO and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.*
