ILOILO City – Western Visayas has a new police director.
“Strikto talaga ako (I am really strict),” was how Brigadier General Leo Francisco described himself during a brief talk with the press after the change of command yesterday at Camp Delgado here, the headquarters of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Francisco said he would focus on maintaining peace and order in the region, which means prioritizing crime prevention down to the barangays of municipalities and provinces.
“Gusto ko makita na walang mag-iinuman sa daan at walang mangbabastos sa mga kababaihan,” he said.
Francisco’s first verbal instruction to his men across the region was this: “Ipunin ang lahat na ordinances sa inyong area of responsibility at ipatupad.”
“We will monitor their implementation. We will grade their output based on the implementation,” said Francisco, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1992.
He replaced Brigadier General Flynn Dongbo whose new assignment is the Directorate for Logistics of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame.
“Bawal bulakbol,” Francisco warned Western Visayas policemen. He doesn’t want them to be lazy.
The internal cleansing at the PRO-6 would be sustained.
“Talagang trabaho, serbisyo sa Region 6,” stressed Francisco who had been the director of Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon).
Francisco vowed to also continue Dongbo’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“Tuloy-tuloy ito. Walang letup,” he stressed.
The drive against wanted persons and loose firearms will not cease, he added.
“Paiigtingin natin ang paghahanap ng loose firearms para ma-avoid natin ang opportunity na magamit ito sa mali,” he said.
The new Region 6 police director also said PRO-6 would work hand in hand with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to end communist insurgency and terrorism in Western Visayas.
Francisco also stressed the importance of better police-community relations.
Prior to his Region 6 assignment, Francisco was the chief of the Manila Police District.
He vowed to be accessible to the media whom he assured of the PRO-6’s transparency because “’yan ang dapat.”/PN