The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) gave this assurance Thursday during its meeting in Valencia town, on occasion of the Provincial Government of Bohol’s (PGBh’s) 13th HEAT Bohol Caravan.
This was in answer to the inquiry cum request made by Blair Panong of the Provincial Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Bohol) to clarify once and for all Bohol’s peace and order situation and its status report as regards and in relation to the “ambush†news that happened and was reported earlier during the week.
Panong’s apprehension mirrored that of every Boholano as subsequent news articles surfaced questioning the truth and authenticity of the story which, according to many, clearly showed signs of being fabricated, thereby lacking in truth and substance, and showing no real basis.
Panong’s concern was seconded by Josefina Cemini of the Holy Name University (HNU) Research Center who voiced out that daily news reports over the airwaves are quite misleading for, more often than not, news items incessantly talked about crimes and illegal acts which reporters have extracted from police blotters.
“We need assurance from the Provincial Government,†Panong said, adding that “we require the stability that investors need†for their office is quite alarmed by the “ambush†report.
Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, who chairs both the PPOC and the RPOC, stressed that “Boholanos deserve the truth; we need to know what really happened.â€
And THE TRUTH was spilled out by Provincial Director Constantino Barot, Jr. saying that “there really was no ambush, or even an attempt for that matter.†Said conclusion came after the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted an investigation and based on police blotter and accounts by the Chief of Police of Carmen Police Station.
“The PNP is firm on its stand that no ambush happened in Carmen,†Col. Barot resolutely stated.
Gov. Chatto also confirmed reports that his office has requested the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Office under Atty. Edmund Villarta and he was assured by the latter that they are looking into the matter and that a comprehensive report will be submitted to his office as soon as possible.
As Governor of Bohol, Chatto gave his word that “regardless whether there are characters involved or not, we will go to the bottom of the matter.â€
PPOC-Bohol is acknowledged as one of the strongest and most diligent of PPOCs and reports from the PNP and the Special Forces (SF) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have confirmed this.
During the meeting, both the PNP and the military have also affirmed that the crime situation in Bohol is steadfastly descending despite the overall situation in Region 7 and that this is indicative of the very effective collaboration, cooperation and coordination between the Chatto-Lim Administration and all local and national agencies and the private sector.
To conclude, Chatto and the entire PPOC has given word and assurance that the whole Province of Bohol is a “safe haven for investors in the real sense despite the clear and desperate attempts of those who want not just to smear the province’s good reputation, but also to muddle our current status as an ideal business haven in the region and the tourism benchmarking capital in the country.†(jlv/EDCom)
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