ITOGON, Benguet – Some fifteen wanted persons facing various charges in the different courts inside and outside the province were arrested by alert operatives of the Itogon Municipal Police Station over the past several weeks.
Senior Inspector Heherson Zambale, chief of the Itogon Municipal Police Station, said the arrested wanted individuals were charged with heinous and light crimes and were subsequently turned over to the courts that issued their warrants of arrest for the proper disposal of the cases that were filed against them.
He added that the accomplishment of the Itogon Municipal police Station in terms of the arrest of wanted persons within its area of jurisdiction was in addition to their assigned task to closely monitor the compliance of thousands of pocket miners to the cease and desist order temporarily putting a stop to small-scale mining activities and their compliance to the conditions of the temporary permits issued to them by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) for them to process their stockpiled mine ore.
“We will continue to strengthen our operations against wanted persons who are seeking refuge in the different barangays of the municipality for us to sustain our peacekeeping initiatives that will ensure the safety of people living in the locality,” Zambale stressed.
The police official claimed that the Itogon Municipal police Station has a total manpower of 40 officers and personnel aside from the 40 policemen that are serving as augmentation to the local police force to ensure their round the clock operation against those who continue to violate the temporary stoppage of mining and the permits issued for the month-long processing of stockpiled mine ore.
According to him, one of the strategies that he is currently employing is the frequent dialogues being conducted with barangay officials and various sectors of the municipality for them to be appraised on the plight of the people as well as cascade to the grassroots level the programs of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in terms of sustaining the reign of peace and order in the town.
Zambale expressed his gratitude to the local officials, and the private and public sectors for their unrelenting and uncompromising support to the implementation of the existing and ehance anti-criminality, peacekeeping and anti-terrorism campaign for the realization of lasting peace through the years.
Zambale is a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) whose first assignment was in Marawi City from 2012 to 2018 before being assigned to the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and in turn the Itogon Municipal Police Station.
He urged the various sectors in the municipality to constantly get in touch with the local police force on matters of peace and order issues so that appropriate solutions could be done in addressing whatever problems that they are encountering in terms of working together for the reign of law and order in the town.
He claimed that he makes it appoint to attend all gatherings in the locality for him to be acquainted with the culture of the people which is totally different from his previous assignment in the south.
By HENT
