By: Chris V. Panganiban
Inquirer Mindanao Bureau
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte — Police and other government personnel, students and environmental advocates planted trees in a village here on Tuesday as part of the observance of National Crime Prevention Week.
The Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13), led by regional director Brig. Gen. Rolindo M. Suguilon, organized the activity in Sitio Matin-ao in Barangay Bonbon in partnership with the Regional Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development (RAGPTD-13) and other stakeholders.
The activity carried the theme, “Strengthening Civilian Oversight and Collective Action for Safer Communities.”
Among those who joined were National Police Commission-Caraga director Josephmar B. Gil, RAGPTD-13 chairperson Ryan Anthony B. Culima, Barangay Bonbon chairperson Soledad Caralde, and representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines also participated, along with students from local schools.
Suguilon said the activity highlighted the role of communities and various sectors in both environmental protection and the promotion of public safety.
“Let this activity remind us that meaningful change does not always begin with big things. Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as planting a tree,” Suguilon said.
Police officials said the activity also underscored the National Crime Prevention Week’s call for greater public participation, emphasizing that preventing crime is a shared responsibility among law enforcement agencies, government institutions, communities, civil society and other sectors.
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