A FIRST. Police Colonel Portia Manalad, the first female police chief of Cotabato City. (Photo courtesy of PRO-12)
COTABATO CITY – The first female graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) on Monday assumed office as the first city police director here.
Colonel Portia Manalad replaced Colonel Michael Lebanan as head of Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO) during the 2 p.m. ceremony held at the CCPO headquarters situated at Pedro Colina Hill, this city.
Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi welcomed Manalad, even as she bid goodbye to Colonel Lebanan who will be reassigned to the Police Regional Office Region 12 in General Santos City.
With her installation as CCPO head, Manalad, 46, made history by becoming the first female city police director for Cotabato City, in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and in the entire island of Mindanao.
In 1995, Manalad also exemplified by becoming the first and lone woman to graduate at the PNPA. Manalad was also a graduate of Master in Public Management, major in Development and Security, conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines in 2016.
Moreover, she served in the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in conflict areas of Kosovo and East Timor. She had pushed for the deployment of more women peacekeepers in the UN missions in conflict-affected countries.
“Let's work hand in hand with our new acting city director in achieving peace, security, and unity amidst diversity,” Guiani-Sayadi said in her welcome remarks.
Manalad, an advocate of women empowerment, stressed once more as in her previous public speaking engagements that “women may be weaker physically but we could be as strong as everybody else in the service in several other ways.” (PNA)
