Philippine National Police officials, led by their chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, met with Catholic bishops of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental Sunday to discuss exploratory areas of mutual cooperation to address the combined security, and moral and spiritual dimensions of peacekeeping, law and order, justice and human rights.
The meeting between PNP high ranking officials and the Catholic bishops, led by Most Reverend Patricio Buzon, of the Diocese of Bacolod took place at the Bishop’s House in Bacolod City.
“The Catholic Church provides one of the strongest pillars of support to the PNP in its selfless desire to serve and protect the community. We have been actively involved in countless church activities, the latest of which being the Feasts of the Black Nazarene and the Sto. Niño last January which both became peaceful and orderly,” Sinas said in a statement yesterday.
Sinas’ visit to the Bishop’s House has led to forward-looking, stronger bilateral relations between the top leadership of the PNP and the Church leaders in the provinces of Negros Occidental and Oriental.
Another meeting this February, that is a prelude to a series of future meetings, has been agreed upon with details to be finalized soon by both parties.
Together with bishops Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, and Louie Galbines of the Diocese of Kabankalan, and Military Ordinariate, Most Reverend Oscar Jaime Florencio, Buzon expressed gratitude and appreciation to Sinas for his humility and gesture of extending his arms of mutual understanding and cooperation with the Church in order to assuage the concerns of the latter on the peace and order in the two Negros provinces.
Other officials from the PNP included Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag – PNP deputy chief for operations, Maj. Gens. Dennis Agustin, Joselito Casimiro, and Rhodel Sermonia from the PNP directorates for intelligence, logistics, and police community relations, Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda – regional director of PNP Western Visayas, Brig. Gen. Jason Ortizo – chaplain service director, and Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana – PNP spokesman.
Also present were two military officials, Cols. Leonardo Peña of the 302nd Brigade, and Michael Samson, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, representing the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Negros Island.
Aside from meeting with Catholic bishops of Negros, Sinas also graced the groundbreaking ceremony for the Transient Quarters of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, worth P10 million, at the Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, also on Sunday.
“This structure, once completed, will help policemen to settle immediately and render police service,” Sinas said in a statement released by NOCPPO Sunday night.
He acknowledged the assistance of Abang-Lingkod party-list, represented by House Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano, in the realization of the project by facilitating its inclusion in this year’s General Appropriations Act, for implementation of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Paduano was represented by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. during the event.
The 12-room transient quarters will rise on the site of the old NOCPPO Apartment built on June 14, 1974, and inaugurated on April 14, 1975. The construction will start once the Department of Budget and Management releases the special allotment release order.
Sinas commended NOCPPO director, Colonel Romy Palgue, in leading his men to maintain a favorable peace and order situation in Negros Occidental.
“The records and statistics speak well of the leadership of the Negros Occidental PPO. Congratulations for a job well done in spite of the pandemic,” he said. Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the construction of the transient quarters is a “sound and practical way” of supporting the needs and enhancing the capacities of police officers.*PNA
