Police, army men moonlighting as private armies to be sacked

MANILA, Philippines - Police and Army personnel doubling as “private armies” of politicians based in the Cordilleras, Central and Northern Luzon will be relieved from their posts.

“Once we establish and have validated reports that they are working as private armies of politicians, we will relieve and reassign them in far-flung areas of the country,” said Director Roberto Rosales, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Office (DIPO) Northern Luzon.

DIPO Northern Luzon is in the thick of their campaign to dismantle private armies in its jurisdiction in a 60-day period.

Rosales created the Joint Special Intelligence and Coordinating Center (JSICC) composed of intelligence units of the police, Army, National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement units to take pictures, or video footages and armaments of the suspects. Rosales said they are targeting police and Army personnel amid reports that some are working for the furtherance of the ambitions of politicians.

He pointed out that politicians were allowed two policemen or Army bodyguards and two civilian counterparts in the duration of the last May elections.

At present, a politician is allowed only a policeman or Army bodyguard and a civilian counterpart but they must be always in proper uniform.

Rosales will conduct inspections of the DIPO Northern Luzon satellite offices this week to learn first hand their problems, especially the progress of their ongoing campaign against private armies.