Monday, January 29, 2007 Police gives candidates time to seek exemption on guards
THOUGH there’s an order terminating the assignments of policemen as government officials’ close-in security, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 is giving politicians time to apply for exemptions.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said this when sought to comment on the Camp Crame order issued following the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 7764.
“When I read about that early this morning, I called Gen. (Silverio) Alarcio, (Central Visayas police director) and I told him that I will follow the law. But he told me that he will give us enough time to apply for exemption,” he said.
The mayor said he will ask for exemption this week.
Since the election period started on Jan. 14, the authorities have also started to enforce a gun ban, for which only the Comelec may grant exemptions.
Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south), vice chairman of the House of Representatives committee on dangerous drugs, also said he will give up his close-in guard in compliance with the order.
But he will consult with Rep. Roque Ablan (Ilocos Sur, 1st district), committee chairman, on what to do.
He said that if Ablan will ask for an exemption, he will do the same, considering that both of them had made enemies in the committee’s numerous investigations on the illegal drug trade.
“Dunay public officials who do not need the protection. But there are those like us who are targets of drug lords,” he said.
Osmeña said he has two police bodyguards who work in shifts. He needs guards because of incidents that convinced him there are threats against him, he said.
He said eight Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) members arrested in December 2004 in Lapu-Lapu City were out to kill him.
He was supposed to award the winners of a shooting competition that time and the road leading to the venue was to be guarded by Special Weapons and Tactics policemen. The eight PBMA members had on Swat uniforms.
Some of them were later charged with the murder of lawyer Arbet Sta. Ana Yongco, one of the private prosecutors against PBMA leader and former town mayor Ruben Ecleo Jr. (RHM)
