Newly appointed Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) director Col. Jonathan Cabal highlighted the strengthening of tourist security as one of his priority agenda in response to Governor Arthur Yap’s call for a better protected tourism industry, which the provincial chief executive deemed to be the fastest route towards inclusive growth.

Cabal took over the helm of the BPPO Thursday morning during a turnover of command ceremony which was joined by Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 director Brigadier Gen. Debold Sinas and Yap at Camp Francisco Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City.

“I am going to take the directive of our governor. We have to protect the tourism industry and with that, we have to secure places, like ‘yung mga tourist spots natin,” Cabal said.

“We will strengthen our tourist police para they can address any problem or any situation that would arise with regards to our tourists kasi yun ang gustong-gusto ni governor na maalagaan ang ating mga turista,” he added.

Yap earlier highlighted that his administration will be tourism-centric, including in matters of peace and order, saying that he wanted a police director who has “battle experience” and knowledge on tourism.

Cabal meanwhile will not leave on the wayside the campaign against narcotics trade, in line with the national government’s anti-drug drive.

He said that after the ceremony, he will lead a command conference with provincial police officials to assess the drug affectation of barangays. Village officials who will be pinpointed to have not shown efforts to support the anti-drug drive will be reported to the Department of Interior and Local Government.

“We will go against illegal drug personalities, definitely with my vast experience as intelligence [officer] and as drug enforcement officer before in Neuva Ecija I will make sure na ma-enforce properly yung anti-drug efforts,” he said.

Cabal said that the BPPO needs the support of the public and the local government units to curb illegal drug activities in the province.

The new Bohol police chief who was the director of the PRO 7’s logistics division replaced Col. Cesar Julius Gornez who led the BPPO since January.

Prior to being logistics chief, Cabal was the director of the Regional Intelligence Division 7.

Cabal, as regional intelligence director, played a crucial role in hunting down the 11 Abu Sayyaf bandits who slipped into the province through Inabanga in April, 2017.