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Eleazar orders men to keep watch on areas with intense political rivalries

October 27, 2021 Alfred P. Dalizon 413 views

POLICE territorial units have been ordered by General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar to keep a close watch on areas with intense political rivalries and see to it that they will be after the heads of politicians employing partisan armed groups and storing illegal firearms that could be used to commit gun-related violence in the 2020 national and local elections.

Prior to the start of the May 2019 election campaign period, the PNP identified 701 areas including the cities of Mandaluyong, Manla, Caloocan, Malabon and Pasay as election ‘hot spots.’

The PNP leadership said then that the number were almost half or 42.9 percent of the 1,364 cities and municipalities in the country and prompted them to ‘adjust’ the deployment of their personnel for election duties.

However, the PNP is known for conducting a full validation of their poll watchlist including those so-called Areas of Election Concern (Yellow), Areas of Immediate Concern (Orange) and Areas of Grave Concern (Red).

Yellow areas are those with histories of election-related incidents, intense political rivalry, and areas that had been previously declared under the control of the Commission on Elections.

Orange areas are those located in places known for having a considerable presence of armed groups including the New People’s Army, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Abu Sayyaf Group , the Maute Group and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation.

Areas under the Red category are those with combined factors under the Yellow and Orange criteria and would warrant motu propio declaration of the Comelec Control.

With nearly two months before the May 13, 2019 polls, the number of areas identified by the PNP as ‘election hot spots’ increased to 941 following validation.

On that date, 131 towns and cities were described as being in the ‘Yellow’ category while 238 are in the ‘Orange’ category. Another 570 areas were placed under the ‘Red’ category or areas of grave concern including 66 in Luzon, 50 in Visayas and 492 in 494 in Mindanao.

Gen. Eleazar has ordered an intensified campaign against Private Armed Groups, Criminal Gangs, Wanted Persons, Gun-for-Hire Groups and loose firearms nationwide ahead of the election period in January next year.

He said the intensified law enforcement operations will be done thru service of warrants of arrest and search warrants, checkpoint operations, police patrols and response as well as the so-called ‘Oplan Sita/Bakal/Galugad.’

Based on historical data of previous elections, election-related incidents resulting from intense political rivalry are known to escalate during the start of the campaign period.

“We will ensure to remain apolitical and to protect the will of the electorate by ensuring honest, orderly and peaceful elections in May,” Gen. Eleazar said.

CORDILLERA COPS ARREST ABRA LGU OFFICIAL, EMPLOYEE IN ANTI-WEAPONS’ RAID

Last week, Cordillera Police Regional Office director, Brigadier Gen. Ronald O. Lee on Monday announced the arrest of an elected public official and a local government employee in Abra for illegal possession of high-powered firearms and ammunition.

“This is part of our ongoing crackdown against partisan armed groups and loose weapons which could be used to commit violence in the forthcoming May 2022 national and local elections,” said the official as he and his men were commended by Gen. Eleazar for their latest accomplishment.

Brig. Gen. Lee said that members of the Cordillera Regional Intelligence Division/Regional Special Operations Group/Regional Drug Enforcement Unit raided the house of Sangguniang Bayan Member George Sotelo in Bgy. Narnara, Pilar.

Armed with a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued by Judge Maria Ligaya Itliong-Rivera of the Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 5, the Cordillera police team, with the assistance of officers from the Abra Police Provincial Office stormed the residence of the 45-year old Sotelo.

Lee said that recovered from the public official’s house were an M-1A1 Elisco Baby Armalite rifle with serial number 113054; seven magazines containing 134 rounds of live caliber 5.56 ammunition; one cal. .45 semi-automatic pistol with serial number 11001; three cal. .45 magazines containing 20 bullets; one 9mm Llama pistol with serial number 940296, one Llama 9mm magazine containing five live ammunition; and five Carbine magazines with 13 bullets.

A follow-up raid at the house in Bgy. Narnara of Ferdinand dela Rosa,40, an employee of the Pilar municipal government led to the confiscation of an 5.56 Hydra M-16 automatic rifle with serial no. 3406162, one M-16 rifle with a defaced serial number and three magazines containing 71 live ammunition.

The official said the raid was also conducted on the basis of another search warrant issued by Judge Itliong-Rivera.

The raiding team led by Major June Tabigo-on arrested the suspects following the conduct of the search which were conducted in the presence of required government witnesses.

Two alternative recording devices were also utilized by the Cordillera police team during the search in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling. The two suspects are now under the custody of the Cordillera police facing charges for violation of RA 10591.

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