Except for Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot, the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) said they will only replace police officers that were assigned as security detail for mayors in Cebu.
“(Most of the bodyguards) have ranks of PO1 and PO2. Supposedly these police officers should be in the field. That’s why we will only be replacing them,” Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, PRO-7 chief, told reporters at yesterday’s press conference.
He said they will be replaced with higher ranked police officers.
Sinas declined to explain why their office won’t be granting additional security personnel for Loot who was publicly tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a coddler of drug lords.
Last month, a retired police officer identified as Loot’s bodyguard was arrested for supposedly brandishing unlicensed firearms at a market stall in Daanbantayan town.
For his part, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is not interested to augment his security group.
“I should be treated the same as all other mayors. I’m just one of the mayors, so whatever I’m entitled to, I will take advantage of that but I will not insist on special treatment,” he said.
Last Thursday, the regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-7) urged mayors in Central Visayas to comply with procedure in hiring or acquiring additional armed security personnel and asking for police escorts.
DILG Regional Director Rene Burdeos admitted that some mayors in the region were alarmed over the recent killings of two mayors in Luzon. /with USJR Intern Delta Letigio and an Inquirer report