JV Ejercito urges AFP, PNP: Demolish private armies across PH
Published Mar 14, 2023 06:25 am
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) should dismantle all existing private armies throughout the country.
Ejercito noted that the suspects in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo used “sophisticated” firearms and showed signs of advanced training in close-quarter combat.
“I’m hoping that with the deployment of troops and PNP personnel, the government can already catch and apprehend all of these killers. What is more important is to disband private armies all around the country. The way that Governor Degamo was killed, it was well-funded,” Ejercito said.
“The equipment used and the firearms were sophisticated and expensive. At the same time, you can see the movement of those assailants. You can see that they underwent close-quarter battle training. Very coordinated,” he added.
On March 4, Degamo, along with eight others, was shot dead inside his home while facilitating the payout of medical assistance for clients of the provincial government.
The PNP has so far arrested four individuals allegedly involved in the said shooting. Authorities are still hunting down four or five other suspects.
The senator said he supports the increased deployment of troops in Negros Oriental until the peace and order situation in the province is stabilized.
“Until the government is able to dismantle or neutralize these armed elements, I support the deployment of troops and PNP so that order can once again be restored in the province of Negros Oriental,” he said.
Ejercito reiterated that the PNP should also launch an investigation on the reported absence of five out of the six security personnel assigned to Degamo.
“These five should be investigated for conspiring with the mastermind. Hindi ito nagkataon (It was not a coincidence),” he said in a tweet on March 11.