ILOILO City — With the May 12 elections fast approaching, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) assured the public that there are no confirmed organized private armed groups (PAGs) in Western Visayas. However, authorities remain on alert for emerging threats.
Brigadier General Jack Wanky, director of PRO-6, said that while intelligence reports do not indicate the presence of any organized PAGs, there have been text messages and information pointing to the existence of potential armed groups.
“We have no organized PAGs, but there are messages coming in about possible groups forming,” Wanky said. “I have given clear instructions to all unit commanders to closely monitor individuals with pending criminal cases and to intensify police operations against loose firearms through the service of search warrants.”
Wanky also noted that the threat from insurgents has diminished significantly, with the Philippine Army having effectively neutralized their activities.
“They are no longer able to extort money from politicians,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director, Colonel Bayani Razalan, confirmed that his office is keeping a close watch on one potential group in Iloilo province.
“We are monitoring this group because they might attempt to regroup,” Razalan said. “My intelligence officers are focused on tracking their movements.”
Authorities emphasized that proactive measures are in place to ensure peaceful and orderly elections across the region./PN