Quezon province has new police chief

Colonel Ledon Monte —PHOTO JULIE ALIPALA/INQ

LUCENA CITY — Quezon welcomed a new acting provincial police director during a change of command ceremony on Tuesday, September 6, in the Quezon Provincial Police Office at Camp Nakar in this city.

Colonel Ledon Monte replaced Colonel Joel Villanueva as Quezon police chief. The two are Philippine National Police Academy class members of 1998.

Brigadier General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the newly installed chief of the Police Region 4-A covering the Calabarzon presided over the ceremony.

Monte vowed to work with all local government officials in the province to maintain peace and order.

“I came here as a team member in our common goal of implementing laws, maintaining peace and order for the development of the province,” he told local news reporters.

Villanueva, assigned in this city in May 2021, is credited with the success of anti-criminality campaigns in the province, particularly against illegal drugs and the arrest of numerous wanted felons.

He also orchestrated the successful enforcement of health and safety protocols to curb the COVID-19 spread in the province, the number of active cases is now decreasing.

Monte, who hails from Benguet province, is the former chief of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Calabarzon.

He is a recipient of the “Medalya ng Kabayanihan” or Distinguished Conduct Medal in recognition of his heroic role during the five-month-long battle in Marawi in 2017 as commander of the PNP-SAF 5th Special Action Battalion.

Governor Angelina Tan, Lucena City Mayor Mark Alcala, other local government officials and representatives from different civic groups witnessed the turnover ceremony.

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