Former senator Panfilo Lacson has proposed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assign security personnel to opposing political candidates, especially in areas identified as election hotspots, to reduce or prevent violence as the campaign season for local officials intensifies.
Lacson, who is running for senator under the administration party Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas, suggested, “It may be better to replace the bodyguards of opposing political personalities with personnel from the same unit. Members of the same unit know each other, so they will not engage in conflict.”
He added that these security personnel would ensure the safety of their principals without the risk of intentionally harming each other.
This approach may be more practical in election hotspots compared to candidates individually seeking exemptions from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to obtain security details from the PNP or AFP.
The Comelec has released an initial list of 1,619 areas of concern for the May 12 midterm elections, which are categorized into four levels: “red,” “orange,” “yellow,” and “green.” Of these, 36 areas fall under the “red” category, indicating serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents, while 156 areas are classified as “orange.”