PNP assures mayor have nothing to fear

The national government, local government units and Philippine National Police should be alarmed by the spate of killings of lawyers and local chief executives in the country.

This was the concern raised by former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama who said his security is still a continuing concern until President Rodrigo Duterte will clear his name of alleged narco-politician.

“It’s going to be a real alarm for the country and a challenge for the national government. It should be a challenge for the one running the city and the whole national police,” Rama said.

But officials of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) and Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) assured that local executives have nothing to fear amid the consecutive deaths of two mayors in Luzon.

However, Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of PRO-7, advised local executives to be vigilant.

“Wala rason mahadlok sila, pero dapat mag-amping pa gihapon sila ug kung pwede ma-beef-up nila ug enhance nila ang personal security mas maayo,” Sinas said in a text message.

CPPO director Manuel Abrugena said that if mayors or those who feel their life is in danger, they may file a request for security detail at the Police Security Protection Group (PSPG).

The PSPG will validate if there is really a need to detail security officers to the local executive or an individual.

“Magkakaroon ng threat assessment as to the status. Kapag na-validate, that’s the only time na ang PNP will provide,” he said.

Rama was publicly named twice by President Duterte about his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Rama, however, said he is still waiting for Duterte to publicly announce that he is not into the illegal drug trade.

Rama said he has met with Duterte several times already to clear his name.

“The ‘drug protector’ tag remains to be a myth,” he said, adding that he does not want to disclose the threats that he has been receiving.

Just this week, two mayors were killed in broad daylight. On Monday, Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas was killed by a sniper during the weekly flag ceremony at City Hall.

The next day, Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio town in Nueva Ecija was assassinated by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

In Cebu City, former prosecutor and criminal lawyer Salvador Solima was killed inside his house at Singson Compound in Barangay Guadalupe late afternoon on Tuesday.

Despite the killings, Presidential Legislative Liaison Officer Secretary Adelino Sitoy said each case has individual unique circumstances.

“Kada usa sa elected official, duna siyay iyang kaugalingong circumstances nga dili nato mahukom sa tanan, sa tibuok sa Pilipinas,” he told reporters.

Sitoy, a former mayor of Cordova town, said he does not worry about these things in his town for now.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, said he is continuously monitoring the killing incidents.

“It doesn’t bother me. I’m just monitoring. There’s always a threat. It doesn’t matter. It’s part of the job,” he told reporters.

Osmeña said he does not even carry his gun.

Asked if he feels safe, he said he doesn’t feel anything since being a mayor is just a job.

Osmeña said he does not want the people to think that their mayor is making decisions because of fear, stressing that he is not afraid.

“But when God calls you, that’s it,” he said, adding several people expressed concern about his security.

The President of the League of Municipalities in the Philippines has expressed concerns on recent killings of local chief executives.