Sans death threats, Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. and his son, Third District Congressman Arthur “Toto” Defensor, Jr. will request the Philippine National Police to provide them with police escorts because the election season will already start next month.

“This is for security purposes. I’m afraid to die but prepared to die,” the governor said after the PNP said it will recall all the detailed police escorts of politicians and other very important persons (VIPs) starting Jan. 13, 2013.

The governor said that under the law, he and his son are entitled to have police escorts for their security. However, he has one trusted police escort since he started his first-year term as Iloilo governor in 2010.

Defensor recalled that when he started his political career in 1969 as Mayor of Mina and until the 1984 Batasang Pambansa elections when he was tagged as a critic of the administration of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, he has not received any serious threat.

But, “You can never tell what will happen. The possible request for additional escorts will depend on the situation. We could not please everybody,” he said.

He also advised his son to avail of the privilege because currently, he does not have a police escort.

Defensor is a member of the Liberal Party (LP) and he will run against Fourth District Cong. Ferjenel Biron of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) in the gubernatorial race while the young Defensor will run against UNA member Dr. Roy Francis Lavilla in the congressional race.*