Even fellow
police officers are in agreement that the shoes that will be left behind by
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Chief Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa are too big to
fill.
Dela Rosa
officially handed the baton over to Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr., chief of the
Regional Logistics and Research Development Division in Davao Region yesterday.
The former DCPO chief was directed as early as last week to report to the Camp
Crame where he takes on the position of Chief of Staff of the
Intelligence Group. However, he had to come back to the city for the official
turn over ceremony Friday as this is the only time when Davao City Mayor
Rodrigo R. Duterte is available this week.
“Mahirap
mapantayan ang nasimulan ni dela Rosa (it is hard to live up to what dela Rosa
has started) but I believe and I have faith in Sr. Supt. Danao that he will be
up for the job,” PNP XI Regional Director Police Chief Supt. Wency T.
Pascual said.
Dela Rosa was
appointed DCPO Chief in February 2011 and was asked by Duterte to again extend
his stay. However, dela Rosa said he is not getting younger and wants to
accomplish more things before he comes back to Davao PNP hopefully as its
Regional Director.
“My biggest
accomplishment would be the reduction of drug activities in the city,” dela
Rosaid. However, he is also frustrated that he was not able to accomplish a
drug-free Davao before leaving the city. “Maybe I am too ambitous,” he added.
Dela Rosa
challenged Danao to continue implementing “Oplan Tokhang” or Operation
Tuktok where he personally visits the home of suspected drug dealers and
convince them to stop their illegal activities. Otherwise, he said, “mugara na
pud ni sila ug mubalik ang droga diri.”