Top Cordi PNP execs revamped

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad – Major command positions of the Cordillera regional police office based here were revamped last week to strengthen its campaign for peaceful elections, especially in Abra, one of potential hot spots during the May elections.

 Senior Supt. Benjamin M. Lusad, director of the Benguet provincial office, relinquished his position to Senior Supt. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., a member of Class 1989 of the Philippine Military Academy, former executive officer of the directorate for comproller.

Lusad, a member of PMA Class 1985, will be assigned as officer-in-charge of Abra provincial police office and will take over from Senior Supt. Roberto Quinto Soriano, deputy regional director for administration, who will go back to his old post while taking charge of the Regional Special Operations Task Group Abra.

Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, regional police director, said the changing of the guards is part of the Philippine National Police’s program.

He added Lusad’s outstanding performance in Benguet over the past two years will now be put to an acid test as he takes over a very challenging and tricky job of sustaining peace and order gains in Abra.

 Magalong said maintaining peace in Abra during the elections will be a significant accomplishment of the PNP considering that feuding politicians in the province have mellowed.

 “We do not want that Abra will always be branded as an election hot spot in the coming elections, thus, we want Abra to be out of the control of the Commission on Elections during the May 2013 elections,” Magalong said,

He added there is still a lot to be done in the province considering the existence of around 800 declared loose firearms and some 1,800 unrenewed firearm licenses.

Abra and 14 other provinces were included by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the list of potential hot spots likely to be placed under Comelec control if the situation in said areas will worsen the coming months as election is fast approaching.