ILOILO City – Twenty-five local chief executives (LCEs) in Western Visayas have security threats as of March 21, based on the assessment done by every police station.
Of the 25, 18 are considered high-risk while seven are medium-risk threats, according to Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Also, 16 were from Negros Occidental, six from Iloilo province, one from Capiz, and two from Bacolod City, PRO-6 record showed.
Francisco added the 25 elected officials included nine municipal mayors/vice mayors, seven village chiefs (municipal level), two city mayors/vice mayors, two congressmen, two barangay councilmen (municipal level), a city councilor, a town councilor, and a councilmen (city level).
As of this writing, the PRO-6 was 98.76 percent done with its assessment of the total 37,469
elected government officials in the region.
Earlier, Francisco vowed to provide security to LCE who have security hazards.
He said this threat assessment and endorsement will be sent to the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) before they could provide security personnel.
“May mga criteria muna tayo na gagawin at there is a threat assessment. Ipapasa natin ito sa PSPG and the PNP chief will be the one to approve it,” Francisco said.
He added: “May mga elected government officials tayo na iba ang threat; may iba naman na regular security ang kailangan.”
Security measures for LCEs were made tighter after the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight other civilians in Pamplona town on March 4./PN
