Negros Occ Police Office has new OIC

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan assumed command of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) effective July 18 as its officer-in-charge (OIC), and he said his top priority will be to eradicate illegal gambling in the province.

Lirazan, who paid a courtesy call on Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. Thursday, said the governor’s marching order for him was to solve the rampant illegal gambling activities in the province, especially in northern Negros Occidental.

He said his other priority will be to hunt down fugitive Noel Ayalin, the lone suspect in the massacre of four officials of Brgy. Kapitan Ramon in Silay City in March 2011.

Marañon said Lirazan will be acting NOPPO director for at least two months, and his performance within that time will be the basis on whether he will be appointed to the post on a permanent capacity. He also instructed Lirazan to solve illegal drugs in the province.

“He has to prove his worth. If his performance is good, I will retain him, but if people will have complaints against him, then I will replace him,” the governor said.

Lirazan will serve as NOPPO OIC until Marañon has selected a permanent provincial police director from the list to be given by Camp Crame.

Last week, Marañon said he wanted to designate Supt. Remus Canieso, who was temporarily appointed NOPPO caretaker, to the post in a permanent capacity.

Marañon said he promised Canieso then to install as permanent NOPPO director. But yesterday, the governor said Canieso could not be appointed to the post because the police official holds only the rank of superintendent.

Canieso however was reportedly due this year for promotion to senior superintendent, which is a requirement for the position of provincial police director.

With Lirazan now as OIC, Canieso, who served as the NOPPO caretaker for 10 days, will go back to his previous position as the deputy provincial director for administration.

Lirazan, who was director of the 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion, replaced Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan who was appointed to a higher post in the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas.

Lirazan said his assumption as NOPPO OIC actually took effect last July 10, along with the appointment of Guisihan to PRO-6, but it was held in abeyance by Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, director of PRO-6.

Querol was at the time preparing for the field evaluation and validation of the 6th RPSB by Camp Crame inspector, the PRO-6 of which was a candidate for the national award as best RPSB unit in country, for the first time in its history.

Police records showed that Lirazan was a member of the Philippine National Police Academy Class 1983, and he spent almost half of his police career as intelligence officer in the PNP intelligence unit.