BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – There are no private armed groups in Negros Occidental, according to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO).
Armed groups that previously operated in the province already surrendered, said Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO spokesperson.
The only armed group left in Negros Occidental is the New People’s Army, he said.
Despite this, Catalogo said, they continue their monitoring.
Last week, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported not having monitored private armed groups in the city.
Police Major Joery Puerto, head of BCPO’s Intelligence Unit, said they conducted a threat assessment on the city’s top officials and village officials; all of them have no threats to their lives.
He also said the city’s elected officials do not have private armies although he noted that several of them have bodyguards authorized by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
According to the PNP-Public Information Office (PNP-PIO), there are 48 private armed groups across the country, with three tagged as “active” and 45 tagged as “potentially active”.
Among the regions being monitored for private armed groups include the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, CARAGA Administrative Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
Brigadier Gen. Redrico Maranan, PNP-PIO chief, said these groups are heavily involved in murder and harassment, especially during elections./PN
