I asked province police chief to retain my escorts — Davide

DESPITE the election ban on maintaining police escorts of candidates and incumbent officials, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III still brings with him his police escorts when he goes around the province.

Davide said he has asked the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) chief that he be allowed to retain his police escorts.

“I think I am entitled to that being the governor,” he said in a briefing yesterday.

Davide said he hasn’t received an official reply from Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, CCPO chief, but he would like to believe that the police chief is okay with his request.

Cebu Daily News sought Gairanod for comment yesterday, but calls made to his phone were left unanswered.

The governor brings with him two escorts at a time whenever he visits towns and barangays.

He admitted that he hasn’t written a request to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yet, but he added that if he will be required, he will comply.

“I wasn’t told that. All I knew was I had to write to Gairanod,” said Davide.

However, he said security is not essential for him because  he can defend himself and he hasn’t received any death threats.

Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, acting provincial election supervisor, said that police can assign escorts to incumbent government officials who face security threats.

“If there is a threat, the police will decide,” he said in a phone interview.

Labaria said that candidates and incumbents can have their security escorts tag along for as long as they are not carrying weapons.

He said that is what the ban is trying to avoid.

Labaria was referring to the Comelec ban which prohibits candidates including incumbent officials from employing reaction forces or unauthorized bodyguards during the election period as part of the nationwide gun ban.

All police officers previously assigned as bodyguards to VIPs, incumbents, and candidates have been recalled by their units starting Jan. 10. The gun ban will end on June 8.

Candidates have to secure a permit from the Comelec before they are allowed to be given a maximum of two agents as bodyguards during the gun ban period.

Violation of this provision is considered an election offense and violators may face sanctions including one to six years imprisonment.

Labaria also said that even before the start of the campaign period at the local level on March 25, police can have a say on whether or not to grant incumbent officials security escorts.

From March 25 onward, he said that the officials will strictly have to apply for authority from the Comelec.