New PNP Bicol chief to boost ‘Kasurog Cops’

LEGAZPI CITY --- The new regional director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Bicol region, BGen. Bartolome Bustamante, said on Friday, Sept. 4, that he would reinforce the “Kasurog Cops” a police community program that would build strong relationships with the communities in the region.

Bustamante assumed office as PNP Bicol chief on Friday vice BGen. Anthony Alcaneses, who has reached his mandatory retirement age.

In a ceremony at Camp Simeon Ola here, Bustamante, who hails from Pangasinan, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Makatao” Class of 1989. He was deputy director for Police Community Relations (PCR) of PRO-5.

Bustamante said that aside from the PNP’s Nine Point Program, he would step up the doctrine of Kasurog Cops, a police community policing system that builds and sustain relations towards peaceful and progressive communities.

He said challenges are apparently high especially in the most trying time of the pandemic and the new normal, where police template consisting of operation, investigation and community relations are efficient and effective approaches to address these issues.

He said under this system “we have to come up with appropriate, timely intervention and counter-action that would address all forms of threats to peace and order and security.”

“These are the core values that I would like to inculcate in our police force that in every action there should be corresponding results because we have a community to look after’” he said.