Lingayen – In his return to the House of Representatives as the newly-elected Pangasinan fifth district congressman, incumbent Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr pledges to sponsor a bill to “shape up” the Philippine National Police (PNP).

 

The outgoing provincial chief executive spoke to hundreds of police forces at the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO) here in an awarding ceremony last May 23.

 

“The most important for a country to have is peace and security as well as the police that administers it,” said Gov. Espino, citing trustworthy law enforcement as key for progressive nations to achieve affluence in global circuits.

 

He revealed that his main agenda fueling his recent bid for the congress is to strengthen the national police, him taking to account his experience as a police officer himself and his ascent as PNP Region 1director.

 

Until now, the incoming fifth district representative still laments the absence of a permanent provincial police director, with 10 officer-in-charge placed instead for four straight years now, including the current Police Senior Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo.

 

“As you can observe some entities here don’t bat an eyelash to resort to violence and blatantly show use of force,” he said.

 

Reiterating the need for an official and not an acting provincial police director, the outgoing governor said that an officer-in-charge cannot even do simple office tasks such as signing correspondences because he is not part of the office.

 

The newly elected Pangasinan fifth district congressman, however, thanked the provincial police force for their peacekeeping efforts this recent elections.

 

PSSupt. Okubo in turn expressed gratitude to the outgoing governor for gracing the event despite his busy schedule and for the provincial government’s participation to their Election 2016 scheme which capped a zero-election violence related incidence.

 

A total of 54 uniformed personnel ranging from PPO staff, Special Action Force, PSC, Protective Security Personnel, Special Weapons and Tactics team, Highway Patrol Group and Crime Investigation and Detection Group squad who were awarded with Medalya ng Papuri by the office for their remarkable accomplishment which led to responding to 141 vote-buying attempts that is worthy of emulation by other member of police force.