PNP: Disqualify bets with multiple escorts

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) will recommend to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the disqualification of candidates who will have more than two armed security escorts during the campaign period for the May 2010 elections.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the police will strictly implement the policy that a candidate can have a maximum of only two police bodyguards armed with one long and one short firearms.

“We are conducting surveillance and recording of all those personalities that are going around with a lot of bodyguards and lot of persons with civilian clothes and carrying firearms,” Verzosa added.

Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations (DCO), said the PNP has recommended to the Comelec that a certain candidate be allowed only two uniformed and two protective agents.

“If that candidate will go around with more than that (two police escorts and two protective agents) then we told the Comelec that the PNP will recommend disqualification whoever he may be. It is now up to the Comelec to act on our recommendation,” he said.

Soriano noted that during a recent command conference with PNP and Comelec officials, two personalities were mentioned as having a number of armed bodyguards while going around.

He, however, refused to reveal their identities. But talks around Camp Crame had it that the two personalities being mentioned were boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and National Security deputy adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Verzosa has directed Director Eugene Martin, chief of the Directorate for Intelligence (DI), to assess the information for proper actions.

“All of these are being centrally assessed by our intelligence units and we will be submitting to higher headquarters and also the Comelec reports pertaining to these individuals,” Soriano noted.

He said he is closely coordinating with the poll body for the strict implementation of a nationwide gun ban and to recommend the disqualification of candidates who will violate Comelec regulations.

Verzosa hoped to minimize the number of election-related violent incidents during the May 2010 elections with the gun amnesty program extended for another month.

The PNP originally implemented a gun amnesty program from Oct. 1 to 31 but due to the recent typhoons, an extension was secured from Nov. 1 to 30.