Defensor takes over APPO, vows pro-active anti-crime campaign

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has designated an officer-in-charge with the rank of Senior Superintendent at the Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) here.

Senior Superintendent Cornelio Tubongbanua Defensor assumed the APPO post vacated by Senior Superintendent Epifanio Bragais, Jr. on Tuesday.

Bragais was assigned at the PNP’s Office of Directorate for Logistics at Camp Crame effective January 1 this year.

Prior to Defensor’s assignment in Aklan, Superintendent Samuel Nacion was appointed officer-in-charge by the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) regional director Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol, Jr.

Defensor, former head of PRO-6 Regional Intelligence Division and Chief of the Regional Headquarters Support Group, said a command conference was held yesterday morning with the chiefs of police to assess the peace and order situation in every municipality.

He also directed the chiefs of police to address the increasing crime incidents in some municipalities.

“We assure the public that we are doing our task to the best of our abilities. We have to be pro-active in dealing with those crimes in the province of Aklan,” he stressed.

Asked on his tenure as APPO officer-in-charge, Defensor said that Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez has the prerogative to select the permanent APPO director from the three qualified names submitted by the Camp Crame.

“As soon as the recommended names from Camp Crame reached the Office of the Governor, he (Marquez) will eventually choose the police director for APPO,” Defensor added.

“I am doing our best to make Aklan more peaceful and well-secured, which is dependent on the cooperation of the populace and the communities,” he said.