WHO’S THE BIGMOUTH?: PRO-6 to probe release of names of officials with threats

By Jennifer P. Rendon

And the search for the “loose talker” is on.

Brigadier General Leo Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, on Monday ordered an investigation on who released the names of elected government officials (EGOs) who are deemed under threat.

Francisco was referring to several media reports where the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) allegedly named five politicians who have death threats.

These politicians have claimed to have threats on their lives during the risk evaluation done by field units.

“I am calling Iloilo province na pinapaimbestigahan ko kung bakit lumabas ang mga pangalan na ito because it should not be that way. Kailangan talaga confidential ang mga ganitong mga bagay,” he said.

The region’s top cop said that this kind of information should be between the person and the security packages that the PNP would be providing them.

“Kailangan sa amin na lang and should not have been made public,” he said.

Francisco said he tasked Colonel Arnold Thomas Ibay, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 deputy regional director for operations, to investigate if the information indeed came from IPPO.

When he was earlier asked for the names of EGOs who are under threat, Francisco himself declined to do so claiming he is not allowed.

That’s why, “I was surprised (with the leak) because I have said that I am not at liberty to divulge their identities. But rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to coordinate regularly with our EGOs.”

On Wednesday, March 23, PRO-6 announced that it has completed the risk evaluation of 37,832 elected government officials (EGOs) all over the region.

The total number of EGOs is negligibly lower than the one earlier provided by the lower unit, particularly that of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).

Antique PPO added Senator Loren Legarda to the list.

Most of the 37,832 EGOs are in Iloilo province with 15,804.

Negros Occidental has only 5,907 EGOs; Antique with 5,459; Capiz with 4,428; Aklan with 3,124; Iloilo City with 1,617; Guimaras with 934; and Bacolod City with only 559.

PRO-6 records indicated that only 26 EGOs were deemed to be under threat.

The number seemed to be inconsequential considering that it’s just 0.068 percent of the 37,832 EGOs in the region.

The under-threat EGOs included 18 who are considered high-risk while 8 are medium-risk.

Sixteen are in Negros Occidental, six in Iloilo, and one each in Capiz and Antique.

Two EGOs in Bacolod City are considered medium-risk.

Most of those “under threat” are municipal mayor/vice mayors with nine while there are seven barangay chairpersons (municipal level); two city mayors/vice mayors; two congressmen/representatives; two barangay councilman (municipal level); one city councilor; and one municipal councilor; and one barangay councilman (city level).

Senator Legarda is in the medium risk column.

Francisco said the Regional Intelligence Division has yet to finish the threat assessment on EGOs deemed to be under threat.

“The validation is ongoing, except for Sen. Legarda na may PSPG at PNP permanent security. Others are still to be evaluated,” he said.

The PSPG is a PNP unit that secures and protects elected and appointed national government officials; members of the diplomatic corps and visiting foreign dignitaries; delegates and/or participants during special events, private individuals authorized to be given protection and vital government installations.

But Francisco pointed out that the number could still go up.

“Maaaring hindi nagsabi ang ating mga elected government officials ng threat pero pag validate naming meron, maaaring pang madagdagan ito,” he said.

But he claimed that the majority of these EGOs preferred not to avail of police detail.

“What we do is we coordinate with their activities especially those outside of their area of responsibility to give them appropriate security detail during the conduct of their activities,” he said.

For now, Francisco said they could not say when the RID validation would be completed.

He explained that they would also seek for information from other agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation and intelligence units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.