By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Intelligence Group (IG) has taken on the name Ilonggo Group following the appointment of an Iloilo native to its top post.
Colonel Neil Alinsañgan, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1991, was appointed as the new PNP-IG director succeeding Brigadier General Warren de Leon.
Alinsañgan said that his grandfather was also a policeman from Alimodian, Iloilo.
“He was assigned to Leganes where he eventually met my grandmother,” according to Alinsañgan, who speaks fluent Hiligaynon.
He explained that his family’s name was Alinsangan but had to adopt Alinsañgan over a typographical error on his birth certificate.
His father also married an Ilongga from Banate town.
“That makes me a true-blooded Ilonggo,” he said.
While he was born in Metro Manila, Alinsañgan said that his siblings were born in Leganes town. The family again relocated to Leganes when he was three years old.
Alinsañgan finished his elementary education at Leganes Elementary School, which is located opposite their ancestral home.
He went to Central Philippine University and finished his secondary education at the age of 15.
Alinsañgan took up Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at CPU for two years before entering the PMA at 17 years old.
He is deemed as one of the youngest active members of PMA Class 1991.
In his three decades of service, Alinsañgan said he was never assigned to Western Visayas, or in any part of Visayas.
“Most of my assignments were in Mindanao, Luzon, and the national headquarters,” he said.
He studied the basic intelligence course with the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)’s Special Intelligence Training School.
He was subsequently designated as intelligence officer of the Zamboanga City Police Office.
Alinsañgan was also the chief of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) in Western Mindanao.
He was also appointed as Police Attaché in China before becoming the PNP-DI Executive Officer last April 15.
As the new PNP-IG chief, Alinsañgan said his goal is to continue what his predecessor started, especially the PNP’s efforts in neutralizing terror groups in the country.
“I want to improve the performance of IG based on the prevailing requirements of PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar and the PNP itself on local terrorism in Mindanao and communist terrorism groups like the New People’s Army,” he said.
They will also support the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
But in the advent of the presidential and local elections, Alinsañgan said they would also be looking into potential and active private armed groups (PAGs).
Regional Intelligence Units all over the country were also told to support police regional offices in their efforts.
“There’s so much work to be done. But whatever I do or wherever I may be, I would always be a proud Ilonggo,” Alinsañgan said.
