Commission vs private armies wants mandate extended beyond Arroyo term

The head of the independent commission tasked to dismantle private armed groups on Wednesday appealed to the incoming administration to make the body permanent or at least extend its existence, citing its importance after the elections. "We also see the need of extending our term of our existence, because after the elections, that is when most problems would come in," said Monina Zeñarosa, chairperson of the Independent Commission Against Private Armies (ICAPA). "So, we should be still there and in fact we are recommending that this [Commission] be made permanent, that means we ask even the next administration to make this commission a permanent thing," she added. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created ICAPA, also known as the Zeñarosa Commission, last December in the aftermath of the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao allegedly perpetrated by armed supporters of the powerful Ampatuan clan. Under Administrative Order 275, the commission has until May to submit its recommendation regarding the problem on private armies. Zeñarosa said they are working double time to be able to come up with a report by middle of April. 24 groups dismantled Broadcaster Herman Basbano, the commission’s acting spokesperson, said 24 of the 112 target private armed groups had already been dismantled by the military and the police. He said this resulted in the arrest of 67 people and confiscations of 80 weapons. "The 24 dismantled is better, much better than not dismantling any member of the private armed groups, so that is a welcome move," he said. Basbano declined to name influential people behind the armed groups, but Zeñarosa warned that concerned authorities could be liable for command responsibility if they fail to perform their duties against private armies. Intensified operations Retired Police Deputy Director General Virtus Gil and former Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan, who are both members of the commission, said private armed groups normally intensify their operations during the election season. They, however, added that security forces are doing all their can to prevent these groups from sowing terror among the electorate. Zeñarosa said that because of the heightened awareness, the activities of these armed groups could be limited. "I believe the political violence that you are expecting will not happen. In fact, I just have the feeling that the incidents will be lower because first, the awareness of the people about this existence about this Commission Against Private Armies, [and] the sincerity, the determination of the military and the police to really go after the armed groups," she added. Reso vs private armies The Commission, meanwhile, asked the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to step up efforts to dismantle these groups to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections in May. She said this was through the issuance of Resolutions No. 001-10, which she said stemmed from "deliberations, interviews and consultative meetings with politicians and other stakeholders tat Commission has made in the past weeks." Copies of the resolution had been sent to Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno of the Operations Division of the AFP and Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol, Jr., executive officer of the Directorate for Police Community Relations of the PNP. Under Resolution No. 001-10, the commission urged the military to conduct an inventory of firearms and ammunition issued to Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), to monitor CAFGU and Special Civilian Active Auxiliaries personnel to detect the possibility of them getting involved in election-related violence, and to submit their report on the matter within 10 days. The Commission also directed the AFP to beef up troop presence in identified security-risk areas, such as Lanao del Sur and Masbate, including setting up more checkpoints in the coastal areas amid reports of unregulated firearm shipments, as well as Abra, particularly in the far-flung towns of Tineg and Malibcong, to ensure strict compliance with the gun ban to deter not only political groups but armed insurgents from disrupting the election process. The PNP, on the other hand, was directed to conduct a physical inventory of firearms issued to provincial jail guards, provincial security forces, Civilian Volunteer Organizations, police auxiliary units and/or Barangay tanods and to submit a report to the Commission within 10 days. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV