Malacañang declared on Tuesday it does not tolerate extrajudicial killings and would apply “political will” to end this wave of violence as well as stop the proliferation of private armies in the country.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, however, appealed for “forbearance” as the government strives to resolve the spate of political and media killings.

Political and media killing have been largely blamed on private armies being maintained by some politicians.

Lacierda said the President has pledged to “abolish all private armies,” saying they are abhorrence to law enforcement.

“We cannot have an army dedicated to one politician to the detriment to the enforcement of the law by the appropriate enforcement agencies. So they should be abolished,” he said.

The government is already firming up an action plan against extrajudicial killings following the suggestion of Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa to have a “proactive way of dealing” with such violence, according to Lacierda.

“We are asking for forbearance. All these problems will be dealt with. With respect to the Bayan Muna (member) killed in Aklan, we have no policy, we will not countenance extrajudicial killings. That violates our beliefs,” Lacierda said in a news conference in the Palace.

“Certainly the Aquino administration, President Aquino being a victim of human rights himself, does not tolerate and will not tolerate extrajudicial killings under his administration,” he added.

A member of the Bayan Muna group was shot to death while taking his children to school in Panay Island, Aklan.

It was the first suspected political murder under the watch of President Aquino.

Earlier, a radio commentator was also gunned down in Kalinga last weekend.

The media killing was vehemently condemned by Malacañang.

While authorities look for the perpetrators of the crimes, Lacierda said the President has directed the police to review all cases of extrajudicial killings and determine the nature of the violence.

“At the same time the President said let’s be able to identify these extrajudicial killings,” he said, citing the active involvement of the PNP leadership in the matter.

“The first thing they are trying to identify is if this is a local issue. Most of the journalists being killed are radio broadcasters. So they are trying to review all these extrajudicial killings,” he said.

The President, however, has not yet decided whether he would revive the Zenarosa commission that will probe to cases involving the killings of politicians, activists, and journalists. Lacierda said the matter will still be up for discussion among the President, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.