“In the past elections, there were (politicians who gave money). We received a lot of information that some gave in. We know who they are,” Luna said.
However, he clarified they will not threaten these candidates but will only remind them of their “patriotic duty” not to help the enemies of the state.
He revealed that communist rebels are busy generating funds to further their political plans.
“I don’t want to call it permit to campaign fee. For me, it’s plain extortion,” he said.
Luna hopes candidates will not give fees to rebels, no matter how small the amount.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), meanwhile, will coordinate with the elected officials on the Camp Crame’s directive of pulling the police security details, following the start of this year’s election period.
Acting Cebu City Police Director Patrocinio Comendador said his office will also assess if a local official has threats to his life before they will recall their police details.
SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, who is detailed to Mayor Tomas Osmena, in a separate interview yesterday, said he has not yet received any order recalling him.
For her part, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said she could do without a flock of bodyguards surrounding her.
This was in response to a Camp Crame order echoing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution prohibiting policemen, soldiers and other law enforcement agents from acting as security personnel for candidates.
“Personally, di gyud unta ko ganahan. Manglamano ta sa mga tawo, mao ma’y mohapak sa ilang kamot. Laguta nako oi (I do not like it. I want to shake people’s hands,” Garcia said in jest.
Garcia said she was leaving it to the Comelec, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to decide if she needs the keep her security personnel.
If they decide there is a real threat, she said she will apply for the necessary exemptions.
She said police and military officials have advised her about watching her back after she declared an all-out war against insurgency.
She explained that since that declaration, they have shifted to “paranoid mode” and have required security personnel to follow her wherever she goes.
In a separate interview, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. said he has asked incumbent officials to acquire the necessary exemptions from the Comelec.
“We cannot just pull them out immediately. If something will happen to them, we will still be responsible,” he told reporters. He is giving public officials time to file the applications for exemption with the Comelec.
However, until the Comelec issues clarifications on how to carry out their guidelines, he wants all police personnel serving as bodyguards to be in complete uniform when bringing firearms.
This is one of the regulations under the gun ban imposed by the Comelec.
As to Centcom, Major Gen. Luna said it does not mean that if they were not going to be deputized by the Comelec, they had no role in the May 14 elections.
He said they will continue their normal duties of “protecting the people and keeping the sovereignty safe from harm” such as continuing with counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
He said, though, that if the situation calls for it, the Comelec and PNP can still call on them if “there is a grave threat to the election.”
Luna, Alarcio and Garcia met yesterday in a turnover ceremony at the Centcom grounds.
Garcia turned over two 6x6 personnel carrier trucks to the 78th Infantry Battalion and the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) 7.
“The recipients of these service vehicles are at the forefront of fighting an enemy we should have crushed yesterday:
insurgency and a terrorism that hides behind a veil of an outdated and discredited ideology,” she said in her speech.
Maj. Marco Negara of the 78th IB and Senior Supt. Jesus Gacquing of the RMG 7 received the vehicles in behalf of the units and assured her that they will use the vehicles in support of her anti-insurgency programs.
Garcia test drove one of the trucks and after which, was honored by members of the Special Reaction Unit.
Garcia was then nicknamed “the Iron Lady” for hitting two balloons that she aimed at during the graduation rites for the SRU training using only the iron sight of a rifle last year. (MEA/With JST)
