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Thursday, February 22, 2007
67 partisan groups hinder peaceful polls in Armm
By Ulysses Israel
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- At least 67 partisan armed groups operating in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) have been identified as blocking the way to peaceful elections some 11 weeks away.
These partisan armed groups (PAGs) are either police or military personnel assigned as security escorts of government officials, a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
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In Basilan province, five PAGs are currently assigned as security escorts to incumbent local government officials, he revealed.
The police official explained that the PAGs (formerly called as private armed groups) are classified into four categories. They are (1) lawless elements; (2) combination of lawless elements and persons without criminal records; (3) private individuals with no known criminal records; and (4) government personnel such as police and military personnel and other law enforcement agencies.
The five identified PAGs in Basilan belong to the fourth category, which means they are either police or military personnel, he said.
The source said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has advised the partisan armed groups to wear their prescribed uniform whenever they are on duty. In this manner, he said, they will be properly identified as legitimate security escorts.
However, they are still required to secure gun ban exemption from the Comelec if they want to carry firearms, he said.
Several areas in the Armm have been classified as "areas of immediate concern" by the Comelec. The initial list includes Sulu and Basilan.
Earlier, Representative Gerry Sallapudin voiced out his apprehension over the proliferation of loose firearms and the presence of private armies in the province of Basilan.
Armm Comelec officials responded by saying that concrete evidence should be brought forward so that the Comelec can properly act on them.
Military and police personnel are prohibited from carrying firearms when they are not on duty unless an exemption is issued by the Comelec.
The police official said the proliferation of loose firearms in Basilan could be attributed to the presence of threat groups, namely, the Abu Sayyaf, factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and a breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front.
He said the Comelec, in consultation with the police and the military, has identified the "areas of immediate concern" as those areas known to be Abu Sayyaf lairs, routes of Abu Sayyaf bandits, and those areas with previous incidents of election-related violence.
The police official said there was no reported incident of violence related to the polls in Basilan in the past, but admitted there were reports of grave threats and alleged election cheating.
Police Deputy Director for Operations Wilfredo Garcia recently said the police have already seized at least 300 firearms throughout the country in its enforcement of the gun ban, which is being implemented through the establishment of checkpoints.
Garcia also said operations are ongoing to dismantle private armies throughout the country, which authorities have earlier warned as potential sources of violence and other untoward activities in relation to the conduct of the elections.
Task Force Hope, which PNP Chief Oscar Calderon formed in December, is charged with the identification and monitoring of private armed groups. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (February 22, 2007 issue)
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