On Mayor Ruth Guingona’s Ambush: Comendador Encourage Cebu Candidates to Avail Security Personnel for Protection

Even if the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have discouraged the candidates from bringing with them armed security escorts in roaming around to campaign, but Cebu provincial police director Patrocinio Comendador still encouraged the candidates to have security personnel to protect them.

Comendador issued the statement in reaction to the ambush of the convoy of Gingoog City Mayor Ruthie Guingona who was wounded during the incident while two police personnel who accompanied her when she attended a fiesta in one of the city’s barangays last Saturday died during the attack.

Allan Juanito, who claimed to be the spokesman of the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Command, said they already warned the mayor to refrain from bringing with her armed bodyguards in going to the barangays to campaign.

For his part, Comendador told MetroCebuNews, that he will not discourage the candidates in Cebu from availing of the services of security personnel because the situation here is different from Mindanao. “I’ll not discouraged them to have security personnel as long as their security escorts are authorized by the Commission on Elections. I believed that the acts against mayor Guingona are plain terrorism done by the NPA in order to show their presence in the area. It’s a cheap tactic for a group who had long lost their cause amidst the economic, political and social development in our country today,” Comendador said.

The police and military authorities had announced that the government already crippled the NPA rebels in Cebu, particularly because the people had stopped giving them the support.

“Bisan sa validated assessment, insurgent free na ang Cebu. Last week didto ko sa bukid sa Tuburan og wala may report sa NPA sightings, ug usa ‘sab sa timailhan nga wala na g’yuy mga rebelde kay walay permit to campaign fees nga gipangayo sa mga kandidato kay wala may mireklamo,” Comendador added.