ILOILO CITY -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will help in the recall of police bodyguards assigned to barangay officials in Western Visayas.
In an interview Thursday, DILG-6 (Western Visayas) Regional Director Anthony Nuyda, said they are still waiting for a written order from their central office before they start the implementation here.
However, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 6, Police Supt. Gilbert Gorero, in a follow-up interview, said it seems like none of the barangay officials in the region has any police bodyguard.
The region has 3,389 barangays.
However, barangay officials in highly urbanized cities may have police bodyguards, like those in Metro Manila. “But in the province, there was none,” he said.
According to Nuyda, a barangay official, particularly the village chief, is really not allowed to have police bodyguards unless there is a security problem or his or her area has been identified as an “election hot spot” upon evaluation of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
There should also be a clearance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if a barangay official requests for security bodyguards during election period, he added.
The election period has been set on April 14 to May 21.
Recently, DILG Officer-in-Charge Eduardo M. Año ordered the PNP to start recalling police bodyguards assigned to secure village officials as part of the security preparations for the upcoming May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
He said DILG would work closely with the Comelec to help in the implementation of the election. (PNA)
