Albayalde assures protection for local officials receiving death threats for clearing roads
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 10:16:01 +0000
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde assured local officials receiving death threats for following an order to clear roads would be protected.
“Well kung meron pong nakukuhang death threats yung iba no, sabihin lang sa amin,” the PNP chief said in an interview with the reporters.
(Well if there are those getting death threats, just let us know.)
“We are very much willing to protect them remember, this is the project of the government hindi po ito para sa mangilan-ngilan, para sa pangkalahatan ito (this isn’t just for a few but for everyone), para sa ikagiginhawa at ikagaganda ng ating kabuhayan (this is for comfortable and better lives),” Albayalde said.
Albayalde gave the assurance after some village chairmen in Quezon City claimed that they received death threats for clearing roads in their respective areas, Mayor Joy Belmonte confirmed.
Belmonte said that the city government was also ready to help the barangay officials.
The 60-day clearing of roads in Metro Manila started on Monday.
Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that the mayors would be provided all the support such as the deployment of additional police units and even fire personnel.
Año said he would not hesitate to recommend suspension of any Metro Manila mayor “who fails or refuses to act decisively and urgently on the traffic situation within his locality.”
In the 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte, he ordered the DILG to ensure that the LGUs reclaim public roads that have been used for private purposes to ease traffic congestion. DARWIN PESCO