LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Although the appointment of its top cop is still in question before the court, the provincial police is receiving a number of awards during the 112th anniversary of the Region 1 (Ilocos region) police in San Fernando, La Union today.
In a letter, Senior Superintendent Nestor Felix, chief of the Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division, said the Pangasinan police is receiving Achievement Awards for its campaigns against organized crimes and for the arrest of wanted persons, and the Alaminos City police, an Achievement Award for the solution of a sensational criminal case.
In the Special Unit Awards categories, the Pangasinan police is getting recognition for serving the most number of search warrants and accounting for the most number of firearms during the recent election period.
The Dagupan City police is getting recognition for having the most number of apprehended gun ban violators during the recent polls; San Carlos City police, for the highest percentage of compliance on documentation under “Oplan Katokâ€; and Sto. Tomas police, for the most number of renewed firearms during the election period.
Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan, Pangasinan police director, told The STAR he is both elated and grateful for the recognitions.
“I told my men to continue to work and not to be demoralized by issues thrown against me and the PNP as a whole,†Chan said.
Chan was earlier declared persona non grata by the provincial board for his alleged political bias during the recent elections, among other issues.
The camp of Gov. Amado Espino Jr. raised a howl when Chan was designated as provincial police director a few days before the May 13 polls. An injunction case against his appointment is still pending in court.
The provincial board was set to take up a resolution last Monday urging the National Police Commission through its chairman, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, to speed up the process of appointing a new police director for Pangasinan.
The resolution, authored by sixth district Board Member Ranjit Ramos Shahani, was not tackled though as Typhoon Labuyo battered the province.