MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed it has already neutralized 10 private armed groups and arrested 80 suspected members since police intensified their campaign last Jan. 10.
PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa directed all police units nationwide to go after these groups to help minimize election-related violence three months before the May 10 elections.
Verzosa said the creation of special units that would concentrate on neutralizing these armed groups was among the measures being implemented by the PNP to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the PNP continues to validate the existence of such groups in provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide.
As of Feb. 8, Espina said there are 89 private armed groups nationwide with 4,187 members believed to be affiliated with politicians or political candidates in their respective areas.
He said records indicated that Sulu has the most number of private armed groups with 10, totaling 670 members, while there were only two private armed groups in Maguindanao, but with the most number of members at 1,166.
The two provinces are located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Espina said the PNP has prepared a different template for security plans in the ARMM.
“We are always separating the ARMM because we have been using different template in our operation to dismantle the armed groups there. ARMM private armed groups require more of a combat operation while those outside the region need only special operations,” he said.
Police also monitored seven groups in Tawi-Tawi with 195 members, four in Basilan with 700 men, and two in Lanao del Sur with 800 members, all within the ARMM region.
The PNP also monitored 64 groups with 656 members from Ilocos Region (Region 1) to Caraga (Region 13).
The PNP, however, did not report the number of private armed groups in Ilocos Sur, the bailiwick of former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson.
Police also have no records of such groups in Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Albay, Camarines Sur and Antique.
Espina said most of those dismantled came from the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) area, although based on records only Batangas and Cavite have private armed groups but the number of members were not reported.
The PNP spokesman noted that the arrests did not mean that the group was already neutralized because the leaders and other members of the group are still at large.
Based on PNP records verified by the Intelligence Group, Lanao del Norte has nine private armed groups, followed by Pangasinan with six and Zamboanga Sibugay, Western Samar, Masbate, Iloilo and Cagayan with four each.
Other provinces confirmed to have private armed groups are La Union, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga with three each; Isabela, Cavite, Negros Oriental and Eastern Samar with two each; Ilocos Norte, Abra, Bulacan, Batangas, Quezon, Rizal, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Northern Samar, Northern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat and Agusan del Sur with one each.
Espina expressed hope that all such groups would be dismantled before May 10 to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
With the start of the campaign period today, Espina added that the police will also secure candidates during campaign sorties. He noted that the area security will be separate from the candidate’s route security.