Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, was named as the head of the Police Regional Office-7 (Central Visayas).

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac confirmed Wednesday that de Leon will assume his new post in a turnover ceremony to be led by PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa in Cebu City Thursday.

De Leon replaces Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, who was named as the new director of the National Capital Region Police Office on Wednesday.

De Leon, the outgoing head of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO), is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1989.

“The hardest part of moving up to a new assignment is to say goodbye to people you’ve learned to love and treasure for almost two-and-a-half years,” de Leon said in a statement.

“Finally, I’m relieved of duty as chief, FEO. You know why I’m so relieved? I shiver every time I think of maybe retiring in FEO since I was assigned here in 2017. But at the end of the day, God is good because there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.

De Leon also thanked his fellow officers and the men and women of the FEO.

“See you all again soon here at NHQ Camp Crame,” he said.

Meanwhile, Col. Westrimundo Obinque, de Leon’s deputy, will be acting chief of the FEO. (PNA)