FIELD commanders of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been ordered by Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil to immediately solve sensational shooting incidents, specifically those involving elected public officials, in their areas or face administrative relief ahead of the May 12, 2025 elections.

The PNP chief issued the warning in a recent command conference to make sure all regional directors will address the proliferation of loose firearms and existence of private armed groups and guns-for-hire syndicates in their areas, said PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Colonel Jean Fajardo.

The official said the existence of ‘Election Areas of Concern’ during the 2025 polls is also being thoroughly validated by the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Commission on Elections.

According to Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ C. Remulla Jr., the areas that may be included as ‘hotspots’ or EACs in the 2025 elections are the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Cagayan, Nueva Ecija and Palawan.

During the October 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, police also watched hundreds of areas tagged as ‘poll hot spots,’ 361 of them listed as ‘Red Category’ or places where there were occurrences of suspected election-related incidents, security threats posed by terrorist groups or partisan armed groups employed by candidates or if the areas have been declared under Comelec control

‘Green Areas’ refer to places that do not have security concerns and are generally peaceful and orderly, while ‘Yellow’ are areas of concern that have a history of election-related incidents in the last elections, possible employment of partisan armed groups, the occurrence of politically motivated election-related incidents and had been previously declared under Comelec control.

‘Orange’ refers to areas of immediate concern or places where there is a serious armed threat.

‘Red’ areas means places which exhibit combined factors under the Yellow Category with serious armed threats that may warrant the motu proprio (on its own) declaration of Comelec control.

According to Brig. Gen. Fajardo, the PNP chief particularly warned that once another major gun-related violent incident takes place in an area where a previous murder case is yet to be solved, the concerned regional or provincial director will be relieved.

She said that definitely, it alarms them to hear reports of incumbent local officials being killed and it’s the very same reason why Gen. Marbil wants all regional directors to fully address the proliferation of illegal guns that could be used as an ‘instrument of violence’ in their areas.

Fajardo said that the PNP chief particularly wants his ground commanders to zero in on the presence of loose firearms in their territories since it is very seldom that a licensed gun will be used by motorcycle-riding assassins and other criminal elements as they can be easily traced.

As a result, Gen. Marbil has ordered all PNP field commanders to ensure continuing anti-criminality checkpoints and border checks, service of warrants of arrest and search warrants for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 and a stepped-up crackdown on potential Private Armed Groups and guns-for-hire, said the PNP spokesperson.

The PNP chief also cited the need to solve cases of slain public officials.

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Alfred P. Dalizon