The Philippine National Police ( PNP) requested the removal of security escort for politicians allegedly involved in illegal drug trades.

In a press conference after a tri-agency meeting in Camp Aguinaldo Tuesday, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abbas said Police General Oscar Albayalde’s request will be assessed during the Comelec's en banc session.

“It was not discussed inside but Gen. Albayalde has submitted a letter to us, requesting the removal of the security escort of all those who were included in the narcolist. So later at the en banc we will decide on that,” he said.

Albayalde explained the request was made to give them the authority to immediately remove the security of alleged narco politicians.

“The first thing that we do is to remove the security of those who are in the narcolist, especially if they are candidates. That’s one, because maybe there were politicians included in the narcolist who were able to apply before and were given temporary security,” he said.

“As I remember when the Secretary of Interior and Local Government released the copy of the list, we’ve already determined or given directive to remove the security,” he noted.

Albayalde added the PNP may also recommend the removal of security for local government officials who were allegedly supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines -New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“We will also probably, we will recommend that to the Secretary of Interior of Local Government, with the more than 300 or to be exact 349 suspected government officials supposed or allegedly giving support to CPP-NPA. A few of them are governors and candidates for governors and mayors,” he said.

The tri-agency meeting made up of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Albayalde and Abbas was also attended by other Comelec, police and military officials.

Madrigal said meeting was made “to polish all our preparations, coordination and security plans to ensure the peaceful orderly honest and secure national and local elections 2019 this coming May 13 through the

National Joint Security Coordination Center that we formed in 2016.”

“In this meeting we had a security situation briefing update from the Comelec and the presentation on the final joint implementing plans of the AFP unified commands and the PNP directorate for internal police operations,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS