CEBU CITY -- Police officers being detailed as bodyguards for politicians, business owners and other individuals will be recalled by the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas. 

This heeds a directive from the Philippine National Police (PNP) for all city and provincial directors to account for all their personnel, especially those serving as security detail.

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It’s also part of preparations for next year’s polls and for the eventual termination of their detail orders.

The announcement comes in the wake of Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr.’s decision to cut off power to the local police station, after the PNP took back his security detail without consulting him. (The connection has since been restored.)

Senior Superintendent Louie Oppus, Regional Operations and Plans Division chief, warned that city and provincial police directors who fail to follow the directive will be administratively investigated.

Oppus said those police personnel who are found to have been working for politicians or for civilians as security guards without any clearance from their superiors will also be dealt with accordingly.

“Heads will roll,” Oppus said.

Cebu Provincial Police Chief Jesus Gaquing, for his part, said they provide security coverage to local chief executives. The personnel are normally those assigned to the towns or cities where the local chief executive serves.

Gaquing said they will go through the process and follow the directives.

He added that the police will request the local chief executives for consideration and explain that they will have to comply with directives of Camp Crame.

Meanwhile, police are also warning the public to be vigilant about the circulation of fake bills.

Police have anticipated that fake bills, specifically in P500, P100 and P1,000 denominations, will be rampant as Christmas and the May 2010 elections approach.

Senior Inspector Nixon Laoyan of the Regional Intelligence Division said they have been monitoring this modus to determine if these fake bills were manufactured in Cebu.

Laoyan said one of the personnel of his office was even victimized when the latter unwittingly got hold of a P1,000 note and would have used it to pay some bills when he discovered that it was counterfeit.

Oppus advised the public to be extra vigilant when receiving cash, paying more attention to the features of the note, as this might be counterfeit. (JTG/MEA/Sun.Star Cebu)