Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales Sunday said that some local politicians in the country have been monitored purchasing weapons heavily apparently in preparation for the coming May 2010 elections.

“This is happening even in provinces not previously known for election violence,” he said.

“If left unchecked, this situation will result in the subversion of the true will of our people,” Gonzales further said, as he pointed out that there was already a pattern of daily political killings in the country even before the election season.

Gonzales also said the Department of National Defense and the Commission on Elections are currently working on a new memorandum of agreement that will put the Armed Forces of the Philippines at conductthe full disposal of the poll body “to safeguard the sanctity of the 2010 elections.”

The defense chief said the new MoA, which will replace the 2007 agreement between DND and the Comelec, will redefine the role of the military during elections to check private armed groups in many areas and help prevent the repeat of another tragedy like the Maguindanao massacre last November 23.

At the same time, Gonzales said the new agreement will help prevent a repeat of alleged poll cheating involving some military officials during the 2004 and 2007 elections.

“A technical working group is now going into its details,” the defense chief said. “The new MoA will replace the 2007 agreement between the DND-AFP and the Comelec which prohibits soldiers from escorting candidates and election paraphernalia during elections, among others.” “Instead of shying away from their responsibility, our armed forces will meet the challenge head on.

We will show that the AFP is the true protector of our democracy and our people’s will. We will prove the detractors of our soldiers wrong,” Gonzales emphasized.

Last week, the Comelec en banc approved a new resolution allowing a maximum of two soldiers to protect candidates in election hot spots, rendering the 2007 MoA moot and academic. The poll body has also announced a total gun ban during the election period.

Gonzales said the defense department and the AFP held a dialogue with the poll body in response to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo’s expression of need for “an environment that will allow Comelec to do its work.”

Gonzales, who is concurrently National Security Adviser, earlier noted that there are at least 132 private armed groups in the country and about one million loose firearms.

The Defense chief has also expressed concern as he revealed that the country’s intelligence sector was monitoring heavy purchase of weapons by local politicians apparently in preparation for the forthcoming elections.