500 private armed groups exist in RP

There are at least 500 private armed groups (PAGs) that exist throughout the country whose services unscrupulous politicians might tap to harass voters in the May 14 elections, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) said yesterday.
Director Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., PAOCTF chief, said they are now closely working with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to dismantle these PAGs.

Ebdane, the concurrent PNP deputy chief for administration, said he has received unconfirmed reports that several politicians have begun organizing groups of armed goons to engage in terror tactics during the campaign period.

Ebdane said election-related violence may erupt in Sulu and Basilan, and some areas in Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Southern Tagalog, specifically Laguna.

He said "special interest groups" in these areas such as private firms, loggers and landowners maintain their private armies to protect their political and business interests.

"Private armies are the main tools of traditional politicians with the guns, goons and gold. Remove these armies and dirty politics will vanish," he said.

Ebdane said the PNP and PAOCTF are committed to make sure that the people’s will "is not subverted by any private or criminal armed group."

The PNP earlier had identified 395 towns and cities as potential election hot spots.

The Commission on Elections will hold today a command conference with the PNP and the Armed Forces to identify areas which should be placed under Comelec control.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said the conference will tackle, among other issues, the determination of poll hot spots, and the peace and order situations in the different provinces and regions.

"The main issue is the interaction between the Comelec and its deputies in terms of mobilization and fielding of men from the AFP and PNP to ensure clean, orderly and honest elections," Borra said.

He said the AFP and the PNP will submit today their lists of potential election hot spots owing to intense political rivalries, history of poll-related violence and presence of armed groups.

Borra said the Comelec will also take into account the presence of communist rebel groups in determining whether a locality should be placed under Comelec control or not.