Verzosa tells PNP intelligence units to identify all private armed groups

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa ordered police regional intelligence units to identify all private armed groups in their areas and monitor their movements ahead of the May 2010 elections.

Verzosa reminded regional police intelligence directors that they would be held responsible for any election-related violent incidents that would erupt because of their failure to monitor and contain the movements of known armed groups.

“We (PNP) can never wash our hands of any election-related violent incident that will happen anywhere, especially if partisan armed groups are involved,” Verzosa told the intelligence directors in a recent command conference held at Subic, Zambales.

Verzosa warned that failure to comply with his directive would result in sanctions under “command responsibility.”

“Our long experience tells us that most, if not all, violent incidents that occur during election periods were perpetrated, and will still be perpetrated, by these armed goons, unless we work hard together to dismantle them,” Verzosa said.

Verzosa gave police regional offices until the end of the month to comply.

He said this would allow the PNP Directorate for Intelligence and the police Intelligence Group to validate intelligence reports on private armed groups and their protectors.

Verzosa said operations would be launched to prosecute private armed groups, which the PNP has defined as (political) Partisan Armed Groups (PAG).

Further, a PAG can be formed by a minimum of two or more persons who are armed and who serve as personal security to politicians but they carry firearms without any legal authority.

The PNP, in partnership and cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), renewed their campaign against private armies in the aftermath of last month’s massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao, including 30 journalists.

The carnage was blamed on Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who allegedly led his armed supporters that included policemen and civilian militia to ambush the convoy and eliminate his gubernatorial rival, Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.