Checkpoints go up

The election period officially starts today.

However, candidates for national positions can only start campaigning on Feb. 12, said Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. yesterday.

Up for grabs are 18,053 elective posts, including 12 Senate seats, 233 House of Representatives seats, 58 party-list seats and 80 provincial governor positions.

Brillantes said that with the onset of the election period, a national gun ban is now in effect while the transfer or suspension of civil service officials and employees is prohibited.

“They can hire, promote but they cannot do a reshuffle. They need to seek permission from us first,” Brillantes said.

Except party-list groups which can campaign starting Feb. 12, candidates for House seats as well as local government positions can campaign only on March 29, Brillantes said.

In line with the election gun ban, the police will now crack down on loose firearms.

Checkpoints will be set up starting midnight today. Police units would conduct the checkpoints in coordination with the military and the Comelec.

Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, chief of police in Central Visayas, said all police personnel assigned as security escorts to local officials will be recalled starting today in compliance with the Comelec’s directives.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that suspended governor Gwen Garcia and acting governor Agnes Magpale are not exempted from the Comelec’s guidelines.

It was learnt that Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who were each assigned four security escorts, have not requested for the continued detail of security escorts.

Commendador said Garcia used to have 10 escorts, but the number was reduced even before her suspension last month.

The local police can however, grant area security, but its personnel will be prohibited from serving as close-in bodyguards.

During the election period, no candidate for public office, including incumbent officials seeking election to any public office, shall employ, avail himself of or engage the services of security personnel or bodyguards, whether or not such bodyguards are regular members of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines or other law agency of the government.

Those who wish to apply for security escort permits will also have to pay a P5,000 non-refundable processing fee to be deposited in the Comelec account with the Land Bank of the Philippines. The receipt will have to be attached to the application form.The applicant will also be asked for the names of their preferred security officers.

Request for temporary security detail will have to be coursed through the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) while applications for permanent security escorts will have to be coursed through the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP) in Manila.

The Central Visayas RJSCC convened its first conference yesterday to discuss the gun ban as well as security issues in relation to the election period.

The RJSCC, which is composed of officials of the Philippine National Police, the military and the Comelec, will evaluate and approve applications for the temporary assignment of security escorts to individuals, including officials and politicians, in the region. Comelec regional director Temmie Lambino chairs the RJSCC.

Lambino said under Comelec Resolution No. 9561-A only regular members of the PNP, AFP and other law enforcement agencies of the government who are duly deputized in writing by the Comelec may be authorized to carry and possess firearms during the election period. They however are required to be in full uniform showing clearly and legibly their name, rank and serial number, which shall remain visible at all times, and are in the actual performance of election duty in the specific area designated by the Comelec./Inquirer and Chito Aragon