(PNA photo by Lloyd Caliwan)
MANILA – Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. called on police officers in Metro Manila to enhance ties with the community as he took over as the new chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Friday.
Nartatez replaced Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, who was designated as the new chief of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR), in turnover rites presided by PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“We are mandated of course how can you reach out to the community. Our PNP chief said we must enhance community engagement. How do we communicate? Whom do our people call? Because if the people can't contact us, they will call the enemy," Nartatez told reporters on the sidelines of the assumption rites.
He said police officers are the first contact persons of residents in the region as this is the case in far-flung areas where government services are not readily available.
The new Metro Manila top cop will also continue his predecessor's plans to intensify programs such as the "Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay" so that the community can see, feel and appreciate police officers through maximum deployment to areas where police assistance is most needed.
“I want to remind station commanders and chiefs of police, in case they do not have contact numbers of officials of the community. I don't like them just staying inside their air-conditioned offices. How will they be able to engage with that? The instruction is to fully engage the community and that is one of the projects of our outgoing regional director,” Nartatez explained.
Nartatez also said he would review, revisit and redraft police office operations, particularly procedures and activities to secure President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.
“We have our security plans for that and the security plans, taun-taon meron ini-implement natin, we should take a look at it, redraft, i-improve natin every after operation whether actual tactical operations or simple security operations hindi pa namin ma-improve 2023 na ngayon. Since 1992 andaming magagaling na mga opisyal or police operations na nag-draft ng mga operational plans na ito and citing the incidents last year and the previous years, na-improve na yan and of course it is a continuing improvement of course (We have our security plans for that and the security plans that we implement yearly, we should take a look at it, redraft, we will improve every after operation whether actual tactical operations or simple security operations we have not been able to improve its 2023 now. Since 1992 there are good police officers or police operations who have drafted operational plans and citing the incidents last year and the previous years, that has been improved and of course, it is a continuous improvement of course),” said Nartatez
Nartatez belongs to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)’s Tanglaw Diwa Class of 1992.
Before he was appointed as NCRPO chief, he was the PNP’s director for intelligence. He also served as director for comptrollership and once was named director of the Police Regional Office 4A which covers the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. (PNA)
