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Region 1 police bags 5 major awards in nat’l PNP search

CAMP OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union – For the first time in the history of the Philippine National Police, Region 1 (Ilocos Region) police took the grand slam in the nationwide search for the Best PNP Unit by bagging five major awards.

Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, Ilocos regional police director based here, said the command’s awards were officially relayed to him Wednesday night through a written communication from Camp Crame.

The awards approved by PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. are the following: Best Regional Police Office; Best Regional Mobile Group for the Region 1 Mobile Group led by Senior Supt. Edgar Basbas; Best Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Unit for the CIDG-Region 1 under Senior Supt. Marvin Bolabola; Best Provincial Police Office for the Pangasinan police under Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez; and Best City Police Station for the Dagupan City police headed by Supt. Dionicio Borromeo.

Bataoil described 2007 – the basis for the evaluation for the awards – as a shining moment for Ilocos police. He said the awards will be handed out by President Arroyo during the PNP Day at Camp Crame on Feb. 6. “It’s a grand slam (with the Region 1 police) getting almost all the unit awards and ‘back-to-back,’ with us being the defending champion in 2006,” Bataoil said. “This shows that our policemen are working.”

The Region 1 police carried out various programs that made its members be “felt, seen and experienced,” including crime prevention activities anchored on the battle cry “Enforcing Laws, Winning Wars and Touching People’s Lives.” Bataoil said the centerpiece of their police service delivery is Mamang Pulis, who he describes as “firm and aggressive against criminality and organized crime groups, responsive and friendly to the community.”

He said 2007 – highlighted by the national and local elections – brought out the best of the Region 1 police with its various pro-active interventions, which resulted in the arrest of 1,385 wanted people, the neutralization of 37 crime gangs, and the seizure of 428 assorted firearms from gun ban violators and criminal elements.

He said major crimes were solved jointly by the regional police, CIDG-Region 1 and other support units such as the killings of Mayor Jolly Resuello of San Carlos City, Pangasinan; Mayor Philip Velasco of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte; and municipal treasurer Felicidad Picar of Bauang, La Union. A number of suspects have been arrested or neutralized, while others are still being hunted, he added.

On the insurgency front, Bataoil said they won the hearts and minds of 12 New People’s Army and Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan regulars and their 47 supporters, who have returned to the fold of the law. On touching people’s lives, Bataoil took pride in their Pulis Ko, Titser Ko project, which has gained prominence nationwide and worldwide, as police officers teach in remote villages that lack teachers.