LP members won’t be spared in drive vs private armies

MANILA, Philippines - Politicians belonging to the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) will not be spared in the campaign against private armed groups by the police’s elections task force.

Philippine National Police (PNP) directorial staff chief Director Alan Purisima, head of Task Force Halalan, said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has instructed him to go after not only politicians identified with the opposition but also those from the LP.

Roxas was LP president before he assumed the Department of the Interior and Local Government post.

Purisima said he would coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the May elections.

He said he would also seek the help of other law enforcement units, especially the National Bureau of Investigation.

“The help of all stakeholders would be sought so that there would be no overlapping of functions,” Purisima said.

The PNP has a list of politicians who maintained private armed groups in the 2010 elections. The Directorate for Intelligence will validate the document next week.

“We will be delisting inactive private armies. We will have a new list by next week,” Purisima told The STAR.

He said a majority of the private armed groups and guns-for-hire are operating in Mindanao.