Yap asks PNP to probe alleged threat on his life
MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker Arthur Yap, who is also the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan’s Bohol gubernatorial candidate, has asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the reported “potent threat on his life.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the Bohol 3rd district representative said he received a report from the PNP Bohol Police Provincial Office in Camp Dagohoy, Tagbilaran City last Dec. 14, 2018 stating that “there is a clear potent threat to (his) life” considering that there are “twenty-three (23) municipalities in the province identified as election hotspots due to… intense political feud and rivalry between contending parties… and the reported presence of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in Bohol.”
Yap said he had also been cited “vulnerable and exposed to security risks more particularly to lawless elements… planning any evil intent to harm (his) life and limb…”
The lawmaker said he had kept mum on this report but “considering on going reports of armed groups arriving in Bohol,” he had asked PNP General Oscar Albayalde for a follow up investigation to “ensure that not only he, but all candidates, be secured from any untoward incidents” in the run up to the May 13 midterm elections.
The Deputy Speaker said he already sent a copy of the threat assessment report to Albayalde.
Yap is running against former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., whose family also earlier sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe a possible assassination plot against him. Evasco is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition political party.
“(W)e are humbly requesting your office to undertake a thorough investigation into the reported assassination plot… In the event that the said plot is confirmed, we trust that this investigation will result to the unmasking of the identities of the assassins contracted for the plot but most especially for the people who contracted them,” read the letter of Evasco’s wife, Florita, and three children, Monday.
READ: NBI asked to probe alleged plot to assassinate Evasco
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Albayalde said Yap or any candidate could go directly to the regional police director to apply for temporary security for 60 days. He added that these threat assessments are normal.
“They can go straight to the RD (regional police director) and the RD can provide temporary security. Pero kung sa akin ‘yan ano syempre you will be given outright temporary security dahil meron na siyang threat assessment… and usually naman they give threat assessment,” he said. Cathrine Gonzales /muf
