The Office of the President has appointed Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as the chairperson of the newly-formed Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) for the Negros Island Region (NIR).
Lacson received his appointment papers on Thursday from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-NIR OIC-Regional Director Lailyn Ortiz and OIC-Assistant Regional Director Teodora Sumagaysay at the Provincial Capitol in Negros Occidental.
In a letter addressed to Lacson, Ortiz congratulated him on his appointment, highlighting his steadfast leadership, dedication to public service, and commitment to peace and order. She emphasized that the appointment, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., affirms the national government’s confidence in Lacson’s ability to lead the RPOC-NIR with excellence and integrity.
Before the establishment of the NIR, Lacson chaired the RPOC-Western Visayas and was awarded the Gawad Parangal by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in 2023 for his role in the convergence efforts to end local armed conflicts.
The appointment letter from Malacañang was transmitted by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to DILG Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on March 26, with instructions to notify Lacson within seven days.
Republic Act 12000, known as the NIR Act, which was signed into law by President Marcos in June of last year, formally creates the NIR administrative region, consisting of Negros Occidental (including the highly-urbanized Bacolod City), Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
