BY NYARIKA DOMANAIS
ILOILO – Police Colonel Bayani Razalan is now a full-fledged director of the Iloilo Police Provinciallice Office (IPPO).
He had been serving as IPPO head in an acting capacity since April 19, 2024 following the exit of Police Colonel Ronaldo Palomo who served for over a year.
The decision of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. to make Razalan a full-fledged director was announced early evening on July 31.
There were two other nominees – Colonel Giovanni Musico of the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Intelligence Division and Colonel Ferdinand Navales of the Regional Headquarters Support Group.
As acting IPPO director for some 100 days, Razalan spearheaded numerous anticrime operations which led to, among others, the confiscation of 3,937 grams of shabu valued at over P26.7 million, and arrest of 147 drug traffickers, including 28 high-value targets.
The IPPO also successfully executed 343 manhunt operations under Razalan’s command, which resulted in the capture of 345 fugitives, including 67 of the province’s most wanted.
In addition to antidrug efforts, Razalan’s leadership saw effective enforcement against illegal fishing activities, with 261 illegal fishers apprehended and 132 fishing boats impounded across 102 operations.
The operations also led to the seizure of P418,338 worth of illegally caught fish.
The IPPO’s crackdown on illegal quarrying saw 116 violators apprehended and several delivery trucks impounded from 108 enforcement operations.
Moreover, the campaign against illegal gambling resulted in 70 arrests and the confiscation of P41,014 in bet money.
Furthermore, the drive to confiscate loose firearms yielded 201 firearms, with 150 voluntarily surrendered by owners, 17 with expired documents deposited at police stations, and 34 confiscated during operations that also saw 35 individuals arrested.
Governor Defensor expressed confidence in Razalan’s capabilities and anticipates further successes in maintaining law and order in the region under his leadership./PN
