Ferro keeps post as PRO-7 chief

CEBU, Philippines —  Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro stays as regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7.

Ferro is supposed to be reassigned to Southern Luzon effective yesterday. Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo is supposed to replace him as PRO-7 chief.

“Kagabii I was informed by our Chief PNP that I will remain and stay put here in PRO-7 and wait for further instructions. There will be no more turnover yet,” he added.

Ferro said the PNP chief has informed him that only those who were in position for at least a year already were the ones that were subjected to the reshuffle.

“I am only seven months and three days today, so di pa man ako one year,” said Ferro.

Ferro said that his ‘greatest accomplishment’ during his seven-month stint at PRO-7 was to have a manageable level of the spread of COVID-19 in Central Visayas.

Ferro also announced that the PRO-7 is now COVID-19 free following the reintegration program of the 11 remaining cops that tested positive yesterday.

“The remaining are (the augmentation) from the PRO-6 and PRO-8, and the training center, so they are not organic members from the PRO-7.  Again, we have survived this crisis effectively through the use of a lot of intervention,” said Ferro.

He added that the application of the ‘5I’s has been helpful in the enforcement of the COVID responses that they have implemented in Central Visayas.

The 5Is stand for Inform (to educate the people in the ‘dos and don’ts’ of the pandemic), Identify (for the massive contact tracing), Isolation (for those who tested positive and pointed to be in contact with a confirmed case), Intervention and Integration (advocate against discrimination).

The PRO-7 had 540 personnel that tested positive of the virus and have now completely recovered.

“The first principle that we should follow is dili ta magkompyansa, we should not lower our guards.  We should be very compliant on the basic minimum health standard,” Ferro said. — GAN (FREEMAN)