CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, April 29 -- The chief of the Northern Mindanao Police Regional Office (PRO-10) encouraged police units to increase their presence and interaction within communities.

During Monday's convocation, Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug Jr., PRO-10 director, emphasized the significance of direct interaction for accurate intelligence gathering.

"Human connections foster trust and cooperation, turning raw information into actionable intelligence," he said.

Layug also reminded the police on field duty to minimize distractions, such as using cell phones, and prioritize interactions in the community.

PRO-10's community engagement led the agency to achieve the second-highest conviction rate for illegal drug cases nationwide from July 1,...