Acorda: PNP prepares to flush out 36 monitored PAGs in BARMM
Published Jun 13, 2023 06:14 am
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is monitoring a total of 36 private armed groups (PAGs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) over threats that they could be tapped to influence the result of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October this year.
This is the reason, according to PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr., why he has already visited the BARMM twice in almost two months since he assumed the top police post—to continuously monitor and fund ways to prevent the PAGs from mobilization.
Acorda earlier disclosed that there are three active and 45 inactive PAGs across the country, each member and leader is now closely being monitored.
“Most of these PAGs are in eight regions. Mostly in BARMM, this is where we are focusing on because in BARMM alone, we monitored 36 (PAGs),” said Acorda.
“So our focus is intelligence-driven operations in guiding our regional offices to arrest all of them,” he added.
During his two visits to BARMM, Acorda said he had met with various groups and stakeholders that could assist the PNP in preventing PAGs from being mobilized and used for election sabotage.
Among them, he said, are the military and local peace groups that have been advocating peace and order in Mindanao.
“The good news here is that all the peace groups that we would meet already gave us the commitment that they would assist to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of barangay and SK elections,” said Acorda.
The PNP is the top law enforcement agency being tapped by the Commission and Elections to secure every election.
With regard to large armed groups like the Abu Sayyaf, Acorda said they are in close coordination with the military to deal with them.