The new town police director, Senior Inspector Santiago Rapiz, yesterday said he will change the image and uplift the morale of Pulupandan policemen.

Rapiz said the "show of force" will follow after some "house cleaning", referring to visibility operations in the town, in an attempt to restore the faith of residents in their police. Mayor Luis Mondia had chosen Rapiz from the list of nominees submitted to him by Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, to replace Inspector Nestor Tuadles who had gone on study leave as town police chief, and was approved by the Commission on Election.

Franco who met yesterday with Region 6 police director Wilfredo Dulay, said the assignment of Rapiz is Pulupandan, contrary to reports that he may go back to E.B. Magalona as requested by Mayor Alfonso Gamboa from Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

The relief by Franco of Rapiz as E.B. Magalona police chief on Jan. 13, was questioned by Gamboa.

Rapiz is credited with making the E.B. Magalona Police Station he had commanded in previous years, as best municipal police station in Negros Occidental for year 2005. The Pulupandan police was a recipient of one of the 10 brand new Toyota Altes patrol vehicles, recently acquired by the Negros Occidental police from Camp Crame.

Rapiz paid a courtesy call on Mondia yesterday.

Franco ordered Rapiz and his men to check on the unauthorized wearing of military uniforms, and act on complaints of resident, as well as make the police visible at all times.

Pulupandan, which has 19 policemen, had records of election-related violence in the late 1980s, and is among the towns in Negros Occidental being closely monitored by the COMELEC and the police because of intense political rivalries. The mayoralty contest is between the Mondia and Magdaleno Pena families in the May 14 elections.

Rapiz said he will request additional men to augment the Pulupandan police during the start of the campaign of local officials next month.*GPB

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