PNP beefs up drive vs private armies in Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Police and Army units in central and northern Luzon are intensifying their checkpoint operations to permanently dismantle private armies of politicians within 60 days.

Director Roberto Rosales, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Office (DIPO) Northern Luzon, said a Joint Special Intelligence Coordinating Center will identify and neutralize private armies in their area of jurisdiction.

Rosales said the center is composed of all intelligence units of the Philippine National Police in northern Luzon, the Army, the National Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement units.

“We will come up with the list of all members of private (armies) in our area and if possible to include their pictures or video footage and armaments,” Rosales said.

Once the list is completed, Rosales said they would validate it with their counterparts in two weeks.

Rosales said they would dismantle four private armies in Abra as a test case.

Rosales and Senior Superintendent Elmer Soria, Task Force Abra commander, met at Camp Crame last Friday to draw up their strategy in dismantling the private armies in Abra, the country’s third poorest.

“Once our strategy in Abra is successful, we will implement (this) in other areas of DIPO Northern Luzon where the presence of private armies is reported,” Rosales said.

The DIPO Northern Luzon, according to Rosales, will open lines of communication with politicians and residents for them to report the presence of private armies in their localities.

He said he would also tap local Army units in the campaign against private armies.