A total of 65 members of Private Armed Groups (PAGs) have been so far accounted as the Philippine National Police (PNP) stepped up the campaign against criminal elements who could be tapped as armed goons of erring politicians for the 2022 presidential and local elections.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said 56 PAGs members surrendered due to intervention of local police forces, eight were arrested and one was killed in a clash with the police.
Last month, Eleazar tasked all police forces to intensify the campaign against PAGs as part of the early preparations for the elections in May next year. He said early preparations are crucial to ensuring the peaceful and honest conduct of elections.
“As the filing of certificate of candidacy draws near, I instructed all police commanders to further step up the operations against PAGs because they may be used to sow violence especially in the provinces,” said Eleazar.
The filing of certificate of candidacy will start next month and based on past election data, it is usually the time when election violence heats up.
Eleazar said the local police should intensify their intelligence gathering measures to combat these groups in order to prevent them from committing election violence.
The PNP assured the public that it would not let violent groups to bring atrocities during the poll season and it would also not allow election fraud to happen from the start of filing of certificate of candidacy, the campaign period, the election day as well as during the declaration of winners.