THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao is going to investigate the alleged presence of hired “500 guns for hire” in Davao del Sur.
Davao del Sur Governor Marc Douglas Cagas said on Sunday, April 17 wherein he received reports that around 500 alleged "guns-for-hire" are being deployed in the province to disrupt the upcoming 2022 elections.
The governor said that while the information is still subject for verification, he said they are taking it seriously because some of the hired men are already in Kiblawan.
"The plan is to distribute them in all the municipalities and city. Such is no longer an election offense, but a crime against the State, sedition, for it can undermine democracy," Cagas said.
PRO-Davao Director Benjamin Silo said in a forwarded statement that they will investigate and validate the governor's report.
Silo said the matter is currently being handled by the Davao Sur Police Provincial Office.
He added that additional police personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and Special Action Force will be augmented to ensure "a peaceful and safe" 2022 National and Local Election (NLE).
"Rest assured that PRO 11, through Davao Del Sur PPO will strengthen the provision of security to ensure the safety of all the candidates and the people in Davao Del Sur to freely exercise their rights in relation to the NLE 2022," Silo said.
PRO-Davao spokesperson Eudisan Gultiano told SunStar Davao in a text message that they have not arrested any individual who is linked in the "gun for hire" as the matter is still undergoing investigation.
Gultiano also said that additional police were already planned as six municipalities of the province, namely Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Malalag, Hagonoy, and Padada are considered areas of concern for the election season.
"Nakaplan na talaga ang augmentation sa (We already planned for the augmentation of our personnel in) [Davao] del Sur because six municipalities sa kanila meron (in the province have) intense political rivalry," she said.