Samar gov, solon beef up security amid rebel threat

TACLOBAN CITY — The governor of Northern Samar and its representative in Congress have beefed up their security after being declared “enemies of the people” by communist rebels.

Gov. Paul Daza said, however, that this did not mean he and his father, Rep. Raul Daza, were scared. And people should not automatically blame the National Democratic Front if anything bad happened to him or his father, he added.

In a statement, the NDF, an umbrella organization of underground leftist groups allied with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, accused the Daza father-and-son duo of involvement in crimes against the people of Northern Samar such as plunder, corruption, illegal drugs and illegal gambling. The NDF said the Dazas’ rule in Northern Samar was the biggest argument in favor of dismantling political dynasties.

Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, police chief for Eastern Visayas, said the authorities were assessing the threat to the Dazas. /INQUIRER