Among them are 2 governors and 4 solons
TACLOBAN CITY-At least two governors and four members of Congress were among the candidates from the region have sought for security details, citing possible threat to their lives as the main reason for seeking such protection.
Based on the records of the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) which is composed of regional office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as its chair, Philippine National Police (PNP-8), and the Philippine Army in the region as members, about 30 candidates who are running in the May 13,2019 elections have asked for security details.
Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, said that both the PNP and the Army in the region conducted their assessment before they approved on the request of these candidates.
Once approved, they will be entitled to two security personnel who are required to be always in their uniform every time they perform their protective duties, Carlos said.
The police official said that if these candidates would be discovered to have more than two security details, they would be asked to explain. Otherwise, their security detail would be pulled out, he added.
“If they will have more than two security detail, they will be violating the policy and we will ask them to explain,” Carlos said.
However, they will only be entitled to have more than the required security detail if they will be attending a big and public gathering, the police regional director said.
But this additional security will be pulled out immediately after the event.
In the region, among the governors who sought for security detail were Leopoldo Dominico Petilla of Leyte and Sharee Ann Tan of Samar.
Petilla is seeking for a possible third term while Tan is seeking for a congressional seat of Samar’s second congressional district.
The members of Congress from the region who asked the same security protection were Milagrosa Tan and Edgar Mary Sarmiento, of Samar’s 1st and 2nd congressional districts; Lucy Torres Gomez and Jose Carlos Cari, representing Leyte’s fourth and fifth congressional districts, respectively.
Rep. Tan, serving on her last term, is running for governor of Samar while both Sarmiento and Torres Gomez are seeking for reelection.
Torres Gomez husband, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, who is seeking for a possible second term, also asked for security escorts.
Rep. Cari is running for mayor of Baybay City. His son, Carl Nicolas, who is seeking to replace him, also sought for his own security guards.
All three congressional candidates for the lone district of Eastern Samar have also applied for security detail, namely, Mayors Maria Fe Abunda of Borongan City; Christopher Sheen Gonzales of Guiuan town; and Vice Mayor Conrado Nicart III of San Policarpo.
A congressional candidate for Leyte’s second district, Karen Lolita Javier, also applied for a security detail.
Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, who is seeking for reelection, also asked for security detail.
Others who sought for security details were candidates for vice governor (1), mayor (10), vice mayor (4), and board member (1). (JOEY A. GABIETA)
