By Bernard Ver
Contributor
Dingras, Ilocos Norte—The League of the Municipalities of the
Philippines (LMP) Ilocos Norte chapter is appealing to the Commission on
Election (Comelec) to reconsider returning their police escorts during the
election period.
LMP President and Dingras Mayor Erdio Valenzuela said that there are
reports received by his office about some threats encountered thru text messages
from unidentified sender towards most of the mayors in the province.
Mr. Valenzuela added that their organization is worried enough about the
bombing incidents in the southern part of the country and even the ambush of Quezon
City’s Brgy. Bagong Silang chairperson Criselle Beltran and her driver Mario
Salita recently.
The league will also send petition letters to the Philippine National
Police headquarters for them to hear LMP-IN’s request for the election period,
Comelec Resolution No. 10446, Section 33 states that “[D]uring the election
period, no candidate for public office, including incumbent public officers
seeking election to any public offices, shall employ, avail himself of or
engage the services of security personnel or bodyguards, whether or not such
bodyguards are regular members of the Philippine National Police, the Armed
Forces of the Philippines or other law enforcement agency of the Government
during the election period.”
A total of 457 police escorts were recalled to Camp Crame, according to
numbers kept by the PNP Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG).
Politicians who have serious threats on their lives can file their request
before the Comelec to obtain a Certificate of Authority for Security Detail
(CASD) to employ escorts despite the ban, the PSPG said.
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