Politicians’ cop escorts recalled

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Police personnel assigned to politicians have until tomorrow to return to their respective units, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima said.

Purisima said the recall is part of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s guidelines for politicians to release police personnel who act as their security escorts, especially those who have no permits from Comelec.

“The police personnel assigned with politicians will be back (to their respective units) before Jan. 13,” he said.

However, politicians can apply for permit with the Comelec to avail of police escorts.

Politicians in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi are opposed to the Comelec provision, citing the security situation in their respective areas.

Meanwhile, Purisima directed all his ground police directors to adopt measures to ensure the safe and peaceful conduct of the 2013 midterm elections.

“My directive for them is to do what is mandated to ensure the success of an honest, safe, and peaceful election,” Purisima said after meeting the police commanders here on Thursday.       

He added that there are no more provinces considered as election hotspots, but they have listed 15 places as priority areas in the country.

The PNP chief said security measures have already been planned and laid out for implementation to avert untoward incidents.

In Pampanga, Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, chief of the Police Regional Office-3, said the PNP will conduct checkpoints in several areas in Central Luzon as part of their campaign on loose firearms.

He said that from Dec. 1 up to the present, the PRO-3 has confiscated 50 loose firearms and 38 persons were arrested in several checkpoints in the region.

Ladao said all the confiscated firearms have been turned over to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistics test to determine if a gun was used in the commission of a crime. – With Ric Sapnu