ILOILO City – As Western Visayas adjusts to a reshaped regional map, Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has been nominated and unanimously endorsed to lead the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in the wake of Negros Occidental’s shift to the newly created Negros Island Region (NIR).
Defensor’s appointment as RPOC chairperson was formalized during a virtual reorganization meeting on July 23, where local officials gathered via Zoom to address security matters affecting the region.
The nomination came from Rosario Mediatrix Fernandez, interim president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) – Iloilo Chapter and former San Enrique mayor. Her motion to endorse Defensor was promptly passed and resulted in the council’s approval of Resolution No. 2025-05, recommending the Iloilo governor to serve as RPOC chair from 2025 to 2028.
Notably, Defensor was the only sitting governor among the five provinces of Western Visayas who attended the meeting.
The council’s endorsement now awaits formal approval by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Once confirmed, Defensor will succeed Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who chaired the council prior to his province’s transfer to NIR earlier this year.
“I’m pleased to return as chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, as this position will provide us with a good opportunity to introduce a dynamic approach here in Iloilo, particularly in the areas of resilience and development,” said Defensor.
The governor also announced plans to share Iloilo’s localized defense framework with other LGUs in the region.
“We will share the provincial community defense service, Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran, at Kaayusan tungo sa Kaunlaran, for more progress,” he said.
The meeting also tackled measures to enhance inter-agency coordination and security strategies across the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, now comprising the realigned Western Visayas region./PN
