CCPO recalls policemen detailed as bodyguards

While the Provincial Regional Office has yet to end the assignments of policemen as security men of politicians, Cebu City Police director Sr/Supt. Patrociño Comendador issued last week a directive terminating all orders detailing his men to secure politicians in the city.

Comendador told The Freeman that the order was done in coordination with the Comelec's directive to withdraw all police officers securing incumbent officials, including those working as bodyguards without official orders.

In case of SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, who has been detailed as bodyguard of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Comendador said Dumpit is assigned to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch and has no official order from the CCPO to be the mayor's security.

Chief Inspector Maria Lourdes Ingente, head of the CCPO administrative branch, said there is no official record on the number of policemen doing bodyguard work for public officials.

Comendador said it would be up to the public official if they would continue to have a police bodyguard, provided that there is prior authorization from the Comelec.

Those private individuals with death threats but are not running for any position this May elections could also have a police bodyguard provided that these are authorized by the Comelec, but the continuation of the security detail would undergo assessment depending on the threat, he said.

Regional Police director Silverio Alarcio, for his part, yesterday said incumbent officials could continue having policemen as their bodyguards at this time while PRO-7 is still waiting for the approval and clarification of some provisions it recommended to the Comelec.

Alarcio said they could not just pull out the close-in guards of incumbent officials because they would not risk the latter from impending threats.

He advised policemen however that, whenever working as security of these incumbent officials, they should always wear their uniforms and carry their assigned service firearms otherwise they secure for an exemption from the Comelec.

Governor Gwen Garcia agreed with the PNP order terminating the assignment of policemen as security escorts of politicians during the election period.

"Nalipay ko, samukan ko daghan mag-alirong nako. May rason nako nga wala na'y security para nako," Garcia told reporters yesterday.

There is an existing rule that no politicians can avail themselves of policemen as their security escorts during the election period unless exempted for particular reason.

Garcia however admitted that "officials are always targets and I supposed, small as I am, I am a favorite target" but she said she would not be paranoid. "I will leave it to our police and AFP to determine whether or not there is a need for continued security detail around myself."

If there is a need for security, Garcia said she would apply for exemption although the police and the military earlier said the governor is always a high security risk especially after her open declaration of an all-out war against the communist rebels.

Meanwhile, Central Command chief Cardoso Luna said yesterday the military had been ordered not to get involved in the elections but confirmed that it would still come in whenever there is grave threat in the conduct of the polls.

The military would go on with its usual work on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, and the maintenance of the peace and order to make sure that nothing else will disturb the elections, said Luna.

Luna also urged candidates never to give in to the demands for money by the rebels, and report to the military in case they got into these threats. - Edwin Ian Melecio, Flor Z. Perolina, and Gregg M. Rubio/RAE