CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Senior Superintendent Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. Wednesday formally turned over the leadership of the Benguet provincial police office to Senior Superintendent David Q. Lacdan who will occupy the said post as officer-in-charge.
Azurin, who served as Benguet police chief for over two years and four months, said among his major accomplishments was to empower the police force to be competent and have the character to perform their duties and responsibilities to serve and protect the people in their areas of jurisdiction.
“We would like to express our gratitude to our political leaders, the community stakeholders and the people of Benguet for their cooperation during my stint as Benguet police chief that resulted to the successful implementation of environmental laws, anti-drug interventions, police community programs among others that sustained the peace and order in the whole province over the past two years,” Azurin stressed.
Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan cited the significant accomplishments of Azurin in terms of sustaining the campaign against illegal logging that resulted in the numerous confiscations if illegally cut lumber, seizure of chainsaws and the arrest of illegal loggers as well as the campaign to reduce the supply of marijuana in identified marijuana-producing communities provincewide.
Fongwan challenged Lacdan even if he is still the officer-in-charge to replicate or even exceed the achievements of Azurin to help in preserving and protecting the state of the environment, delisting the province as the major source of marijuana and maintaining peace and order in order to make Benguet a descent place to live, work, study and do business.
For his part, Lacdan accepted the challenge and issued marching orders to policemen on the ground to further enhance their immersion to the communities where they are assigned so that they will be able to gain the trust and confidence of the people and they will be able to gather key information instrumental in strategizing the implementation of appropriate peace and order programs.
Lacdan, who served as director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO and chief of the regional logistics division, said increasing police visibility in the grassroots level will definitely be a plus factor for law enforcers to be able to immerce with the people in the areas where they are assigned so that they will be able to effectively and efficiently discharge their duties and responsibilities.
The police official cited serving Benguet as officer-i-charge would be challenging because it would test his leadership ability, especially in handling police operations in the 13 municipalities with distinct terrain and character of people.
“We have solicited the support of our political leaders, community stakeholders, our men on the field and the people in order for us to be able to put in place the appropriate peace and order interventions that will maintain the province’s identity as one of the peaceful provinces in the country,” Lacdan stressed.
He also directed law enforcers to keep their communication lines open in order to be able to attend to the needs of the communities where they will be assigned.
By Dexter A. See
