71 PAGs under watch as campaign starts

MANILA, Philippines - At least 71 private armed groups are now being watch by the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the campaign starts to heat up before the May 2016 polls.

Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento said yesterday even members of the Liberal Party (LP) would not be allowed to maintain armed groups.

Sarmiento served as LP secretary general but went on leave after President Aquino appointed him to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, replacing LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas.

“We will not tolerate erring LP candidates if caught with loose firearms, maintaining PAGs (private armed groups) or violating any laws of the land,” Sarmiento said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay at Luneta Hotel.

As political candidates are set to file their certificates of candidacy next week, Sar¡miento urged the public to help in the campaign against private armed groups.

He said the DILG is coordinating with agencies involved in providing security in next year’s national and local elections.

“Our countrymen can expect that the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP would focus on having a peaceful, credible, and honest elections,” he said in Filipino.

He added the DILG and the PNP are more focused on private armies, which in the past were blamed for election-related violence.

“The DILG is leading the coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We have to work together, not only with the people from the uniformed service but with the entire community,” said Sarmiento.

“We urge citizens to report to us the presence of PAGs so we can verify these,” he said in Filipino.

The Commission on Elections set the filing of COCs from Oct 12 to 16.

Sarmiento noted the police, the military and the intelligence community are working together to gather information on vigilantes, but they still need the cooperation of the community.

Earlier, PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said he would implement best practices the police used in previous events to secure the presidential elections next year.

Marquez said they would use security templates such as that employed during the papal visit in January and the meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference.

“We will implement best practices and endeavor to equal, if not surpass, past achievements and ensure a secure and fair election exercise... as we did in 2010 and 2013.”

Security measures include increasing the number of police personnel to be deployed, the area of deployment and coordination with all government agencies, especially the military.

Marquez assured the public that the entire police organization would remain apolitical during the polls.

“I want to assure our countrymen that their national police force remains non-partisan as it focuses only on serving and protecting the community at all times,” he said.