CPPO gets new chief

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) has welcomed Police/Colonel Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr, its new provincial director, replacing P/Colonel Christopher Bermudez.

Mangelen officially assumed the post effective September 5, during a turnover ceremony led by P/Brigadier General Dionisio Bartolome Jr., deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office-Region 7 (PRO-7).

Mangelen, in replacing Bermudez, vowed to uphold the core values of integrity, discipline, and professionalism in leading the CPPO, underscoring unity and cooperation of stakeholders in maintaining peace in the province.

On the other hand, Bermudez, highlighted several accomplishments through his 59-day stint as head of the CPPO where he launched significant improvements, including enhancements to the headquarters with the establishment of a state-of-the-art Command Center.

Bermudez also bared that, from July 7 to September 4, the CPPO conducted 368 anti-illegal drug operations, which resulted in the arrest of 536 suspects and the confiscation of a total of 5,609.64 grams of shabu, amounting to P31.3 million.

In the same period, the CPPO conducted 305 operations and arrested 297 individuals, 59 of them were on the list of Most Wanted Persons.

On the campaign against loose firearms, CPPO during Bermudez's time was able to conduct 162 operations, resulting in the apprehension of 79 individuals and the seizure of 86 firearms and explosives. The CPPO also received 81 surrendered firearms, and 85 were already elevated to court proceedings, said Bermudez.

Bermudez further reported that, for the campaign against illegal gambling, 194 operations were conducted leading to the arrest of 265 individuals and the confiscation of P64,932 gambling money.

Bermudez, while acknowledging the role of his personnel in achieving such accomplishments, expressed his gratitude to CPPO personnel for their support and cooperation during his time as provincial director.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, who chose Bermudez to head the CPPO, also thanked the police official for his brief service, which was "marked with dedication, collaboration, and action."

"In the short time that he was with us, he readily worked with the Capitol and decisively carried out my directive to rid Cebu of bad elements," Baricuatro said.

Moving forward, the governor welcomed the new CPPO chief and looks forward to working closely with Col. Mengelen as he starts his tenure as officer-in-charge of CPPO.  — (FREEMAN)