By LEYTE SAMAR DAILY EXPRESS
CATBALOGAN CITY.—The Independent Commission against Private Armies (ICAPA) has urged politicians in Eastern Visayas to help dismantle existing private armed groups.
ICAPA Chairperson Justice Monina Arevalo-Zenarosa singled out the region as among the places where these armed groups continue to exist. The others are Abra, Marawi City, Davao and Zamboanga del Sur.
Zenarosa said during a public forum held here Friday these private armed groups are largely maintained by politicians, and the dismantling of these groups could lead to the peaceful and orderly conduct of the May 10 elections.
“The committee is committed to a peaceful election and beyond that (and) we have to tackle the issue on private armed groups and the existence of loose firearms,” Zenarosa said.
Zenarosa also likened to a “dream” ICAPA’s goal of eliminating these private armed groups, especially if they would be unable to gain support from concerned parties, including the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army.
“We cannot really totally dismantle these armed groups. That is why we are appealing to our politicians as well as our police and soldiers to help us on this effort,” Zenarosa said.
She said that the committee has not set any timetable for the dismantling of private armed groups. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo created the committee on December 8,2009, after the so-called Maguindanao massacre that killed 57 persons, majority of whom were members of the local media.
Joining Zenarosa in the public forum were members of the committee, David Jimenez, Mahmood Adlao, Edilberto Adan and Vertuz Gil, who were in Catbalogan City as part of their monitoring of PAGS in the region.
Also present during the public forum held at the social hall of the 8th Infantry Division camp were Major General Arthur Tabaquero, commanding general of the 8th ID, lawyer Jose Nick Mendros, regional director of the Commission on Elections, Catarman Bishop Emmanuel Trance, police officials and several local candidates coming from the three Samar provinces.
Senior Superintendent Pio Manito, chief operations officer of the regional Philippine National Police, reported that three out of eight confirmed PAGS in the region had already been dismantled.
As part of their effort, 90 checkpoints have been put into place across the region where the movements of armed groups are effectively checked. This resulted in the arrest of 177 persons and 193 assorted firearms confiscated as of last week.
Zenarosa said that achieving their mandate entails a great effort not only from the commission but the candidates or politicians themselves.
“We are only a small group. We cannot move the world,” Zenarosa said. “Let us say no to political violence. It is nice to lay down one’s arms. Let the May 10 elections be a political dawn in our history…that the election will be credible and with our officials elected with dignity and honor. “