Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño has concluded his tour of duty as director of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region after nearly four months at the helm, during which police reported more than P228 million worth of suspected illegal drugs and smuggled cigarettes seized across the region.
Cardiño served as PRO-NIR regional director from May 8 until Sept. 6.
During the period, PRO-NIR conducted 792 anti-illegal drug operations that resulted in the arrest of 1,039 alleged drug personalities.
Police reported confiscating 21,552.56 grams, or more than 21.5 kilograms, of suspected shabu and 1,442.50 grams of marijuana with a combined standard drug price of P146,730,528.40.
Another 590 operations against cigarette smuggling resulted in 33 arrests and the seizure of cigarettes valued at P81,485,610.
Combined, the drugs and smuggled cigarettes seized during Cardiño’s tenure were valued by police at approximately P228.22 million.
PRO-NIR also conducted 545 operations against loose firearms, including 38 implementations of search warrants.
These resulted in the confiscation of 272 firearms, the surrender of 286 unlicensed firearms and the arrest of 107 individuals.
The regional police reported 2,078 wanted persons arrested during the period, although figures in its own breakdown do not reconcile with that total.
The release listed 297 wanted persons and 1,039 “other wanted personalities,” which add up to 1,336 rather than the reported 2,078.
PRO-NIR also conducted 435 operations against illegal gambling, resulting in 973 arrests and the confiscation of P192,076 in alleged gambling proceeds.
In local ordinance enforcement, the regional police reported 45,592 violators fined and 77,100 warned.
Those figures total 122,692, five fewer than the 122,697 overall violators stated in the PRO-NIR report.
One of the programs launched during Cardiño’s tenure was SAFE NIR Dial 911, intended to provide residents across the newly established police region with a direct channel for emergency assistance.
The hotline formed part of the regional police’s SAFE NIR program, which stands for “Seen, Appreciated, Felt and Extraordinary.”
Cardiño also led PRO-NIR during a period when the organization expanded enforcement across Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor and Bacolod City as the police structure of the Negros Island Region continued to take shape.
PRO-NIR earlier reported that total crime incidents in August 2026 declined by 21.02 percent compared with August last year, from 880 to 695 incidents.
Cardiño thanked PRO-NIR personnel, local governments, partner agencies and communities for their cooperation during his tenure.*
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