BSKE: PNP monitoring 48 private armed groups

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is monitoring 48 private armed groups or PAGs that may be deployed during this year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

“The PNP is also continuously monitoring the activities of three active PAGs and 45 potential PAGs that may mobilize for the barangay and SK elections in October,” PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said yesterday.

He added the PNP is asking communities to report individuals who are likely involved in shooting or armed groups that could be used during the elections.

“The overall objective is that we want to have honest, peaceful and orderly elections,” he told reporters in Filipino.

The PNP chief noted that he gave the order to regional directors.

“We hope we can create significant results out of this. We have given the order, and we are now expecting results. We are counting on our men on the ground,” Acorda added.

PNP Public Information Office chief Col. Redrico Maranan said the PAGs are being monitored in Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas) and 13 (Caraga), as well as Cordillera Administrative Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“These armed groups are being looked into because they have big threats for the barangay and SK elections. That is why our PNP chief has given the directive to our regional directors and our national operational support units to intensify the campaign against them,” Maranan said in Filipino.

“These PAGs, based on records, are involved in murder, harassment cases during elections. Based on historical data, there are candidates who are subjected to these kinds of harassment, and this is what we want to prevent,” he added.

Meanwhile, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Aimee Ferolino yesterday said they are not expecting widespread and massive threats that would result in an increase in the application of gun ban exemptions for the Oct. 30 BSKE.

Ferolino, the commissioner-in-charge of the committee on the ban on firearms and security concerns (CBFSC), added that while they would be opening applications for gun ban exemptions almost three months before the start of the election period, they are not expecting a high number of applicants.

“We don’t expect a rise in applications. It will just be the same number as before. Why? Because there is no widespread, massive threats in areas that would trigger an influx of applicants,” she said. – Evelyn Macairan