DUE to safety and security concerns, members of the League of Municipalities Philippines (LMP) Cebu Chapter executive committee will ask the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas to reinstall their close-in aides.
Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, LMP Cebu vice president, said their concern stemmed from the recent ambush of San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya.
The ambush killed Reluya's husband, Ricardo Jr., the town’s Association of Barangay Councils president.
“With this kind of predicament that happened to one of our colleagues, kami sad mismo dili mi assured, especially karon kanunay bisan walay sala i-renown dayon nga drogas bisan wala pay proof and evidence,” she told SunStar Cebu.
From January 13 until June 12, the use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates for the May elections, unless authorized in writing by the Commission on Elections, is prohibited.
The LMP executive committee composed of Alegado, and town Mayors Edwin Yu (Tudela), Beatriz Caburnay (Alcantara), Verna Magallon (Alegria) and Luciano Rama Jr. (Poro) met on Friday afternoon, January 25, at the social hall of the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
Part of the agenda for their emergency meeting was also to see how the body could extend financial assistance to the Reluyas.
Aside from the re-installment of their security detail, Alegado said they will also ask the PRO-Central Visayas to fast-track the investigation on the attack against the Reluyas.
“(We will pass a) resolution requesting the full, immediate assistance in terms of investigation and swift identification of who the real culprits are,” she added.
Alegado said they will raise the spate of killings involving public officials and election candidates in Cebu during their LMP national meeting on February 25 in Manila. (SunStar Cebu)