EDITORIAL - Private armies

A retired Supreme Court justice is expected to be named this week as head of a commission that is tasked to oversee the dismantling of private armies. Malacañang officials said President Arroyo wanted private armies dismantled by the elections in May, adding that the Palace expected public cooperation in the effort.

Few people will come out in support of private armies, and especially not after the Maguindanao massacre. But there are a number of politicians, plus their relatives and supporters, who will want to keep intact the armed groups that serve as their private security escorts. Several of these politicians are staunch allies of President Arroyo. Dismantling these private armies will show if her resolve will go beyond creating a supposedly independent commission.

The role of the commission must be clarified. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said it would be given broad powers to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute. If Remonde is referring to the Maguindanao massacre, the prosecution is already underway. If the commission will be tasked to identify politicians with private armies, the effort must not turn into a partisan exercise targeting mainly opposition politicians.

The Ampatuans who are accused of responsibility for the Maguindanao massacre turned into their private army the Civilian Volunteer Organizations that were created by virtue of an executive order issued in 2006 by President Arroyo herself. She coddled the Ampatuans until the massacre blew up in her face. There are many other pro-administration politicians nationwide who are protected by private armed groups with the blessings of Malacañang.

In Mindanao, there are other politicians who, like the Ampatuans, build up private arsenals and maintain armed groups against threats posed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the New People’s Army, the Abu Sayyaf and bandit groups. Those threats aren’t going to go away during the elections. The NPA in fact supports certain candidates during elections, or else collects “permit-to-campaign fees” from candidates. The government has been unable to eliminate these threats or at least guarantee citizens a certain degree of protection.

If that protection can be provided by the state, there will be no excuse for politicians to organize private armies, and no excuse for Malacañang to coddle them. There won’t be a need to create a commission, which is tasked to accomplish what the government has failed to do.