CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet — The Regional Joint Security Command Center (RJSCC) here approved the granting of police escorts to 63 politicians from the different parts of the Cordillera relative to the conduct of the May 2010 elections.

The RJSCC is composed of representatives from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and is tasked to assess and evaluate the numerous requests for police security escorts by aspirants for mayoral, gubernatorial and congressional posts in the six provinces and two cities in the region.

Out of the 63 who were granted police escorts, 30 come from the conflict-stricken province of Abra, 18 are from Apayao, five come from Kalinga, four are from Baguio City, three come from Ifugao, two in Mountain province and one in Benguet.

Supt. Ramil Saculles, head of the regional operations and plans division of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, revealed most of those who were granted police escorts are candidates for congressman, governor and mayor but even individuals with legitimate death threats could be given escorts during the election period.

Based on the guidelines issued by Comelec in the grant of security escorts to politicians, a maximum of two police escorts will be given to incumbent officials and to aspirants for the mayoral to congressional positions for a non-extendible period of 30 days.

However, he explained permanent security details for politicians during the election period will be decided by the Comelec committee on the ban on firearms and security personnel.

While most parts of the Cordillera are considered to be peaceful and orderly, Saculles explained there is a need to be cautious about the prevailing situations because some unscrupulous politicians and their supporters might take advantage of the lax security in advancing their own personal and political interests by creating scenarios that could compromise the peace and order situation in a certain place.