THE Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was able to dismantle an estimated 20 private armed groups (PAG) a little over a week before the May 9 national and local elections.
According to PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo, majority of the private armed groups came from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other local terrorist groups.
“More or less 20 groups were dismantled, disbanded and delisted from our list of private armed groups,” Fajardo.
Fajardo said the services of private armed groups are often sought by politicians, especially during election period.
Once they have gathered enough evidence, the PNP will file cases against politicians that use the services of private armed groups.
President Rodrigo Duterte already reminded candidates for the 2022 elections that having more than two bodyguards is already a violation of the country’s election laws