Former Police Regional Office – Central Visayas (PRO-7) Director Chief Supt. Noli Taliño expressed his gratitude to all the LGUs in the region and to the men and women of PRO-7 as he turned over the reins to successor Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino in simple rites on Monday last week.

Taliño also thanked the business sector and the people in Central Visayas for their cooperation and for believing in his capability as a regional director for a year.

Talino likewise thanked Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa for assigning him as the new head of the Human Resource and Doctrine Development in Camp Crame. He received the order from Dela Rosa on July 14.

During his tenure as PRO-7 chief, Talino has been successful in the campaign against illegal drugs with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7.

Over one million houses were visited through “Oplan Tokhang”, which led to the voluntary surrender of 110,000 drug personalities.

The PRO-7 also conducted 6,000 anti-illegal drugs operation, arrested 9,274 drug personalities, and confiscated almost 66,000 grams of shabu and 10,000 grams of marijuana, equivalent to PHP800 million.

Under Talino’s command, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Bohol was successfully neutralized in collaboration with the different government agencies and the help and cooperation of the LGUs in Bohol.

The collaboration of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines also led to the capture of police high-ranking officer and alleged ASG member Maria Cristina Nobleza.

“With all these achievements, I’m grateful to the men and women of PRO-7 — from the command group to the city and provincial staff and commissioned officers. These are the men and women who were with me at the crucial moment, challenges and victories. You were with me in implementing our goals, objective and our anti-illegal drug and anti-criminality campaign. And for these, I thank you for your support and commitment. Together, we rose above the challenges that came our way,” Taliño said.

New Director Espino, for his part, shared his goals and plans as the new PRO-7 chief.

Espino said he would carry out improvements needed, particularly in the operational thrust and in the managing of police operations, in order to do it much better. He said the PRO-7 would still focus on the priority action in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s peace and order program.

“Members of PNP, remember this, for this is the motto of PRO-7: ABCD, which means Always Busy Catching criminals and Drug lords, pushers and users. We will cut out drugs in Region 7. That will be our goal. We encourage the mayor of Cebu City to adopt the same goal against illegal drugs. Let us perform our task with the highest degree of competence, integrity and honor,” Espino said. (LBG/USJR intern Levirose Caballero/PNA)