By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Police Regional Office-18 (PRO-18) Director, Police Chief Superintendent Edmund Gonzales, said they are currently monitoring the security situation in Negros Oriental, following recent terror acts in Mindanao.
In an interview yesterday with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod, Gonzales said Negros Oriental has been tagged as a “frontier” of the Negros Island Region (NIR) because of its close proximity to Mindanao.
Gonzales stated he has not yet visited Negros Oriental but intends to plan its security to ensure forces are prepared in case of spillover into the province.
The regional director, a former head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) maritime group, reiterated his statements noting their coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Navy (PN) to ensure no terror groups enter NIR.
He also expressed his confidence in securing the safety of the region and local residents./WDJ