Tough job awaits new Caraga police chief

CAMP RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City — Illegal logging, illegal drugs, gambling, increasing robbery and stabbing incidents, coupled with budgetary and mapower constraints await the new Caraga police regional director who assumed office yesterday.

Caraga Region which has population of 2.2 million has only about 3,000 policemen serving four provinces, three cities, 71 municipalities and 1,326 barangays. The ideal policeman-population ratio is one cop for every 500 residents, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Also part of the problems that await new Caraga police regional director Chief Superintendent Geary Lingan Barias are meddling politicians and scalawags in the police force who were allegedly protecting illegal activities.

Cops who frequent nightspots and entertainment districts while on duty are also many as well as those who were facing many administrative cases.

Barias who heads the PNP Logistical Support and Services Office in Camp Crame is the sixth regional director assigned in the Caraga Region after it was created by law in 1995.

The outgoing Caraga police regional director is to retire next month.

Association of Mindanao Congressmen President and Chairman of House Committee on Appointments Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. told The STAR in a telephone interview that he is hoping the new Caraga PNP Chief can deliver the goods for the good of the people of Caraga Region.

Apart from being the head of the 3,000 Caraga cops, the PNP regional director is usually the head or chairman of the Caraga Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC).