PINAIGTING ng Philippine National Police ang kanilang operasyon laban sa private armed groups (PAGs) habang papalapit ang 2019 mid-term elections.
Sinabi ni PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde nitong Lunes, isinusulong ng pulisya ang pagbuwag sa private armies upang matiyak na magiging malinis at kapani-paniwala ang nalalapit na eleksiyon.
“Since early August we have intensified our campaign against gun for hire syndicates and Private Armed Groups (PAGs) resulting in the neutralization of 82 (30 listed; 52 not listed) gun-for-hire syndicate members and confiscation of 35 firearms of assorted caliber. We have likewise neutralized 47 PAG members (8 listed; 39 not listed) and confiscation of 19 firearms also of assorted caliber,” ayon kay Albayalde.
Dagdag ni Albayalde, tinatayang 77 private armed groups, na may 2,071 miyembro ang pinaniniwalaang may hawak na 1,582 firearms, at nag-o-operate ang karamihan sa ARMM.
Patuloy aniya ang focused intelligence operations at pag-monitor ng mga aktibidad ng mga politiko.
Binanggit din niyang ang PNP ay nananatiling aktibo sa imbestigasyon sa mga pag-atake na umano’y may kaugnayan sa nalalapit na eleksiyon.
“We have gained significant headway in the investigation of 18 separate incidents of politically-motivated attacks on incumbent elective officials with arrests made against suspects in 11 incidents and criminal charges filed against suspects in two other cases,” pahayag ni Albayalde.
Upang maiwasan ang partisan politics, nagpatupad ang PNP ng “reshuffling” o limited reorganization at itinalaga sa ilang ugar ang kanilang mga personnel, lalo ang may kaugnayan sa mga kandidato.
“The PNP assures judicious and impartial application of rules in the implementation of election laws, on the detail of security personnel to candidates, enforcement of the election gun-ban, and equal campaign opportunities,” pahayag ni Albayalde.
HATAW News Team