Bañas Bows Out as PRO 7 Chief

Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas on Wednesday bowed out as Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 director for a new undisclosed assignment at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame.

Bañas was replaced by Chief Superintedent Manuel Gaerlan of the Directorate for Human Resource and Management in Camp Crame.

Gaerlan is the classmate of Chief Superintendent Conrad Capa, who is now the head of the newly formed Police Regional Office 18 in the Negros Island Region.

Gaerlan and Capa are both members of the Philippine Military Academy Batch 1985.

Bañas said Gaerlan finished top of his class.

Under Bañas watch as PRO 7 chief for the last 18 months, the PRO 7 conducted 4,892 anti-illegal drug operations that led to the confiscation of 27,722.13 grams of illegal drugs worth Php307.2 million.

This also resulted in the arrest of 6,679 drug personalities.

President Benigno S. Aquino III awarded him in August for PRO 7’s campaign against illegal drugs and loose firearms.

“For the first time in the history of PRO 7, we were awarded by the president,” he said.

He gave credit to his personnel for the success PRO 7 has attained, saying he was not the one who arrested the criminals.

“If you look at it, I am only a cheerleader, number one cheerleader of my personnel. The Bisdak police officers are the ones doing the operations and arresting the criminals. I motivate and inspire them, that’s all,” he said. (PNA) FPV/EB/EDS