No more permanent bodyguards for politicians
By DEXTER A. SEE
CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet — The newly created "Task Force Abra" of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued stringent rules to be observed by all politicians in that conflict-stricken province in a bid to maintain peace and order.
Senior Supt. Eugene Martin, deputy director for administration of the Cordillera Police Regional Office (PRO), who heads Task Force Abra, said that the issuance of the new security rules in Abra shows that the police means business in the maintenance of peace and order in the province.
Immediately, Martin launched an allout campaign against "loose firearms" in the province in an effiort to prevent violence in the wake of the assassination of Abra Congressman Luis "Chito" Bersamin.
Police visibility will be enhanced and checkpoint operations will be intensified in the different parts of the province.
Martin said there will be no more permanent bodyguards for local politicians, adding that security for politicians will be provided upon request and within a limited period to avoid familiarity and ensure that law enforcers will do their jobs.
At the same time, police authorities have intensified the enforcement of the "no plate, no travel" policy in coordination with the Traffic Management Group (TMG) in the Cordillera.
This is intended to monitor the entry and exit of vehicles in the province.
It was learned that after providing security for their travel to their point of destination and back to their point of origin, the policemen assigned as secuirty will go back to their regular tour of duty.
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Oscar Calderon created the Task Force Abra to oversee the enforcement of measures for peace and order in the conflict-stricken province.
The creation of the task force came as an aftermath of the murder of Congressman Beramin Jr. and his bodyguard, who were shot dead by unidentified assassins after attending the wedding of his niece at the Mount Carmel vhurch in New Manila, Quezon city in the afternoon of last Dec. 16.
It was also prompted by the arson attempt and shooting incident at the residence of Dolores (Abra) Mayor Albert Guzman at dawn last Tuesday.
Martin believed that there is a need for law enforcers to adopt an "iron hand" policy in the implementation of the security rules.
He called on local politicians to cooperate with the enforcement of new rules adopted by Task Force Abra.
"We mean business because we want to show the politicians in Abra that no one is above the law," Martin said.
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