MORE OR less 2,100 personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion was formally turned over to the command under the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation-Eastern Mindanao (DIPO-EM) at Camp Quintin Merecido in Buhangin District on Monday.
Maj. Gen Arnel Escobal, the director of DIPO-EM, said their focus is internal security operation and search and rescue in case of natural calamities.
The DIPO-Eastern Mindanao is the counterpart of Eastern Mindanao Command of the AFP.
“We will replicate this program all over the Eastern Mindanao and maybe after that, the whole country, so the DIPOs will now be taken out of Camp Crame,” He added.
Escobal said they will play support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is responsible for the internal security operations in the country.
“We will be concentrating on the geographically isolated and disadvantage areas to complement the forces of the AFP, so we will have to coordinate with them if we will have changes in the positioning of the camps,” he added.
About 60 percent of the RMFB strength will be absorbed by DIPO, while the remaining 40 percent will be retained in the Police Regional Office XI to focus on criminality and the anti-drugs campaign of the government, said Brig. Gen. Filmore Escobal, the regional police director.
The headquarters of the DIO-EM is planned to be in Barangay Malagos in Calinan District.
