LINGAYEN–There was a changing of the guard at the Police Provincial Office on September 8 with the assumption of Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte as the new police provincial director.

Ricaforte, who came from the Police Regional Office III, replaced Senior Superintendent Percival Barba who headed the Pangasinan police for almost two years starting October 2008.

Ricaforte, a classmate of Barba in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1984, considers his assignment in Pangasinan as a homecoming having served in the province for 10 years when he was still a captain under the then Philippine Constabulary (PC).

Among Ricaforte’s previous positions in the province include commander of the former 154th PC Company in Alaminos, chief of police of Urdaneta, intelligence officer of the Police Provincial Office and chief of the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Branch.

“I will first meet my chiefs of police to talk with them about our operational plans against criminal elements,” said Ricaforte who believes that his familiarity with the situation in Pangasinan is a big asset for him in handling his new position.

The formal change of command between Ricaforte and Barba was presided over by Chief Superintendent Orlando Mabutas, police regional director, and witnessed by Governor Amado Espino Jr., Vice Governor Ferdinand Calimlim and other provincial officials.

SAFE COMMUNITIES

Ricaforte, speaking to the media after the ceremony, said he considers Espino, under whom he served when the latter was police provincial director in Pangasinan in 1995, as his mentor, guide and role model.

Espino, for his part, asked Ricaforte to strictly implement community policing to ensure the safety of the people at all times and make them feel secure in their communities.

At the same time, the governor called on the men in uniform to always observe the prescribed discipline in the proper wearing of uniform and handling of firearms.

“Dapat walang nakaT-shirt lang o hindi naka tuck-in at nakasukbit naman yong baril. Ang M-16 naman, dapat may lugar para dyan,” the governor stressed.

Ricaforte said he will increase police visibility in the streets under his watch.

His first marching order to the 48 municipal and city chiefs of police of Pangasinan is to make the forthcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 25 the most peaceful and orderly throughout the region, if not the whole country.

BARBA

Under Barba’s command, Pangasinan was hailed as the most peaceful province in the Ilocos Region during the May 10, 2010 election with no election-related incident reported.

After the elections, however, killings perceived to be politically motivated significantly increased, most of which were perpetrated by armed men supposedly riding in tandem on motorcycles.

Barba has been assigned to a higher position at the Philippine National Police (PNP) logistics office in Camp Crame.

Espino lauded Barba, also his protégé in the defunct PC’s Narcotics Command of Region III and Angeles City Metrodiscom, for his exemplary performance as police provincial director of Pangasinan.—LM

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