Aquino has ‘political will’ to crush private armies — spokesman

The Aquino administration will exhaust all efforts to abolish private armies, Malacañang reiterated Tuesday following the transfer of Andal Ampatuan Sr., suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case, from jail to a hospital. At a press briefing in Malacañang, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has the “political will" to abolish private armies that thrived in previous administrations. “The president’s policy is to abolish private armies," Lacierda said. “It's abhorrence to law enforcement. We cannot have an army dedicated to one politician to the detriment of the enforcement of the law by the appropriate enforcement agencies." Lacierda made the statement following the transfer of Ampatuan Sr. from Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (formerly V. Luna Hospital) in Quezon City due to herpes zoster or shingles. Some members of the Ampatuan clan and their armed supporters are facing multiple murder charges for the cold-blooded killing of 57 people, including 32 journalists, in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao last November 23. Lacierda said the “practical application" of Aquino's policy to abolish private armies would depend on the Department of National Defense (DND) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Lacierda said the president’s promise is not just lip service, pointing out that Aquino was able to put an end to the inappropriate use of sirens after he promised it in his inaugural speech. “Obviously this (private army issue) is another matter, more heavy and more difficult but we need to put political will and that's something this government intends to use, the political will to abolish private armies," he said. – Jam L. Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV