By Tara Yap

Effective May 15, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Western Visayas region will have a new chief with a turnover ceremony at the regional headquarters of Camp Delgado in Iloilo City.
Supt. Gilbert Gorero, spokesman of Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6), said Chief Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag will assume the post.
Outgoing PNP-6 director, Chief Supt. Jose Gentiles, has been promoted to a two-star general. He will take on a new assignment as chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) for Mindanao.
Gentiles assumed his post in July 2016.
It was under his watch that alleged Iloilo top drug lord Melvin ‘Boyet’ Odicta Sr. and his wife Merriam were gunned down by unknown assailants in Malay town, Aklan province.
While Gentiles campaigned for the surrender of another alleged top drug lord Richard ‘Buang’ Prevendido, the latter remains at large./WDJ