PNP creates new unit to oversee Visayas operations

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has put up a third directorate, similar to the two earlier created in eastern and western Mindanao, to oversee all its anti-terror and anti-crime operations in the Visayas.

The Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO)-Visayas was activated last Feb. 10 with its first head, Director Ray Roderos, assuming his post today.

Roderos’ twin-brother, Chief Superintendent Ronald Roderos, Central Visayas police director, on the other hand, will be reassigned to Camp Crame with the entry of his identical twin as the top cop in the entire Visayas.

All regional police offices in western, eastern and central Visayas will be under the operational control of the Cebu-based PNP-DIPO.

At Camp Crame, Chief Superintendent Roderos will head the PNP’s Directorate for Research and Development, a two-star rank post.

Chief Superintendent Federico Terte will take over as Central Visayas police director in an acting capacity.

The DIPO-Visayas was patterned after the two other DIPOs now operational in the entire Minda­nao.

The PNP created the two Mindanao DIPOs in response to the attacks by Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels on communities in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.

Director Andres Caro heads the DIPO in eastern Minda­nao, and Director Felizardo Serapio, the DIPO in western Mindanao.

The two DIPOs function under the same concept as that of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Wes­com) and Eastern Mindanao (Eastmincom).