ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar had declined additional bodyguards offered by the police despite receiving threats on her life.
“I have so much confidence in God’s protection. I have some protective measures as well but the best protection in our prayer,” Salazar said when asked why she refused the offer of the police to augment her personal security escorts.
Salazar made the revelation about threat on her life after two mayors were killed in the Luzon area earlier this week.
On Saturday, July 7, a vice mayor was gunned down in Trece Martires, Cavite.
Nonetheless, Salazar said she is obedient and compliant to the security measures the police have given her “only at a safe distance so as not to prevent or hamper her activities in reaching out to the people.”
Another reason, she said, is the perception problem in Zamboanga, where people will think the city is not safe if they see the mayor is surrounded with a lot of bodyguards.
“That’s why we do away with a lot of bodyguards. We will just maintain minimum security,” she said.
“What is important is that the police, Task Force Zamboanga and the City Security Unit in City Hall are maintaining their vigilance not only for me as mayor but for every one, the people of this city,” she added. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)