Barot finally leaves Bohol PNP command

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  â€” Senior Supt. Constantino Barot Jr., director of the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO), can finally have the promotion due him but had been sacrificed because provincial government authorities had extended his term of assignment in the province.

Barot was supposed to complete in September last year his 2-year stint as provincial director of the BPPO, but the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) requested for the extension of his service here to stabilize the momentum of general peace and order.

In the monthly meeting in September last year, the PPOC, following Gov. Edgar Chatto’s request, moved and approved en masse, a resolution requesting authorities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to reconsider the transfer of Barot from Bohol to the Police Regional Office-7 command in Cebu as part of the routine.

This time, Barot will be off to the PRO-7 headquarters for a higher post and, temporarily for now, Supt. Gil del Prado, deputy chief for operations, is acting director of the BPPO.

Chatto has three officials, all from PRO-7, from which he would pick Barot’s replacement. They are Sr. Supt. Herson Digal, chief of the Regional Operation Plans Division, Sr. Supt. Armando Radoc, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, and Sr. Supt. Ariel Arsenas of the Regional Directorate for Integrated Police Operation.

Barot said he had always prepared himself for such changes. The extension of his stint in Bohol was justified by the exigency of his expertise that was badly needed by the province, especially with the stretch of campaign period from last March until the mid-term elections on May 13.

Under Barot’s watch, Bohol achieved significant reduction of the crime volume reduced from 4,037 in 2010 to 2,762 in 2011, and further down to 2,429 in 2012.  (FREEMAN)