ILOILO – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) requested the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) to conduct effective and active intelligence monitoring following the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.
Last week, the SP, headed by Vice Gov. Christine Garin, met with IPPO director Colonel Ronaldo Palomo to seek an assessment of the peace and order situation in the province.
“Hingyo man sang tanan nga SP members nga dapat maayo ang intelligence sang aton police; dapat mangin active gid para indi kita makibot. Kay what happened in Negros Oriental indi nagakatabu in a day, dugay na sia nga ginplanohan and nakita ta man nga may sistema gid sila. We want nga indi ina matabu sa province,” Garin said in an interview with Panay News yesterday.
Threat assessment of SP members starts
The IPPO began its threat assessment for all members of the SP: Valentine Marcelo Serag and Jo Ann Germinanda (1st District), June Mondejar and Rolito Calijig (2nd District), Jason Gonzales and Matt Palabrica (3rd District), Rolando Distura and Domingo Oso, Jr. (4th District), and Carol V. Espinosa-Diaz and Binky Tupas (5th District), including ex-officio Provincial Board members, Liga ng mga Barangay president Dorothy Paes; Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Bianca Requinto; and Philippine Councilors League-Iloilo chapter president Ramon Sullano.
“Ang hambal ni director they already conducted the assessment, and so far daw wala man problema ang aton SP members,” said Garin.
She said the public is usually focused on local chief executives like governors and mayors, but the SP members should not be forgotten.
The vice governor also said Palomo assured once the threat assessment showed that an SP member has a threat, the IPPO is ready to provide police security.
Garin, for her part, said she is used to not having police security but is willing to apply if needed.
She added it is more advantageous if the threat assessment is conducted regularly because the situation changes.
“They should do it regularly kay nobody knows. Ang threat mo subong lain, in the few months lain naman. We hope that it will continue nga program sang PNP,” she said.
Garin also believes that politics in the province is not as hot compared to other areas in the country./PN
