HINILING ni Quezon City mayoralty candidate Mike Defensor sa Malacañang na bigyan ng Presidential Security Group (PSG) team ang nangungunang presidential candidate na si dating Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., tatlong linggo bago ang halalan.

“Of all the major presidential candidates, only Bongbong does not have any personal protection extended by the government because he is not a current officeholder,” pahayag ni Defensor.

Si Defensor, ang anointed candidate ni Marcos para sa mayoralty race at pinapaborang kandidato sa Lungsod Quezon, ay nababahala sa seguridad ng nangungunang presidential candidate.

“The problem with our setup here is that if you are not an incumbent official and you run for president or vice president, you have no government protection at all, unlike in the United States,” paliwanag ng Kongresiista.

“In America, all presidential and vice-presidential candidates – whether they are current officeholders or not – are automatically safeguarded by the U.S. Secret Service, the same agency defending their sitting president against potential harm or attack,” dagdag pa nito.

Iginiit ng mambabatas na bagama’t dating senador si Marcos sa loob ng anim na taon at naging governor ito ng Ilocos Norte ng 9 na taon, wala itong matibay na seguridad dahil hindi ito incumbent official.

Dahil dito, dapat umano bigyan ng Malacañang ng kanilang maliit na PSG team ang dating senador at ipaubaya na lamang sa kanilang kandidato kung tatanggapin o hindi ang alok na seguridad.

“We are not worried about presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s personal safety because she already enjoys official protection as the sitting vice president,” pahayag pa ng mambabatas.

Maging ang seguridad nina Manny Pacquiao, Panfilo Lacson Sr. at Vicente Sotto III ay hindi umano nakababahala dahil mga incumbent senator ang mga ito at merong silang matibay na security na bigay ng Senado.

“Even presidential candidate Isko Moreno enjoys some official protection given that he is the sitting mayor of Manila, so we are also not that worried about him,” paliwanag pa ng kinatawan ng Anakalusugan party-list sa Kamara.

Guwardiyado rin aniya ng PSG ang running mate ni Marcos na si Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte dahil anak ito ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kaya ang kanilang pambato sa presidential seat na lamang ang walang matatag na seguridad. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)