From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 13, 2019):
Albayalde vows to 'crush' criminal, terror groups as poll nears
CAMP GEN. VICENTE LIM, Calamba City – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar D. Albayalde vowed on Friday to “crush” all communist terrorist groups (CTGs), private armed syndicates (PAGs) and drug rings that are still operating in the Calabarzon Region, some of whom are allegedly supporting local political candidates for the May 13 mid-term polls.
Albayalde visited the Calabarzon regional police command headquarters here for a command conference on security briefings and election preparations where he also inspected around 1,710 assorted short, long and high-powered firearms that are now under this command’s custody for safekeeping and proper disposition.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar D. Albayalde (at center table) with Calabarzon Regional Police Director Brig. Gen. Edward E. Carranza (to his left), presides over a command conference on security briefings and election preparations of the Calabarzon Regional Police Office (PRO4A) for the May 13 mid-term polls, at the regional police headquarters in Camp Gen. Vicente Lim, Calamba City on April 12, 2019. (Photo by Saul E. Pa-a)In a press conference, Albayalde confirmed the existence of armed syndicates and drug groups that have gone as far as supporting or harassing local poll bets on their extortion activities and permit to campaign especially in the region’s remote areas.
“We are validating the reports from our intelligence units,” the PNP chief said, pointing to around 314 of the 1,710 firearms were already seized from the private armed groups during intensified police operations against loose firearms and criminality and as part of the Commission on Elections gun ban.
He said PAGs and New People’s Army (NPA) communist terrorists persist in some areas in the region and these are closely being monitored as these are potential threats during the elections.
The PNP also intensified the surveillance and special operations on criminal gangs where three are identified in Cavite; six in Laguna; one in Batangas; and two in Rizal while the gun-for-hire groups has one in Cavite; two in Laguna; 11 in Batangas; and two in Quezon.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar D. Albayalde presides over a media conference where he vowed to "crush" communist terrorist groups, private armed syndicates and criminal gangs that are still operating in the Calabarzon Region, during his visit to the Calabarzon Regional Police Office (PRO4A) headquarters at Camp Gen. Vicente Lim, Calamba City on April 12, 2019. (Photo by Saul E. Pa-a)In Batangas, two risk factors include the Fajardo Group in Tanauan City and the NPA’s Platoon Galaxy Sub-Regional Military Area in Lemery town, while Laguna has the Amante Drug Group in San Pablo City.
Local estimates on the loose firearms according to the regional police command also revealed that the CTGs have 185; CGs with 134; wanted persons with 337; and PAGs with 90, or a total of 746.
The command headquarters also reported on its assessment on security risk factors where some six PAGs members have been arrested so far from June 2018 to April this year, and around 37 gun-for-hire members were nabbed during the same period.
At least 47 criminal gang members were also rounded up, 67 most wanted persons and 6,471 other wanted persons arrested, which resulted in the confiscation of around 314 firearms.
On intense political rivalry, two mayoralty bets are reported in Cavite; one in Laguna; three in Batangas; and four in Quezon.
Of the 142 towns and cities across Calabarzon Region, only Quezon has one risk factor under the police's red code, which assesses a series of election-related violent incidents during the previous and present elections and presence of threat groups, NPA) and PAGs.
Around 114 from the 142 local government units (LGUs) are green, which means the police expects no problem and cause for concern while eight LGUs have been placed under the yellow code with two in Cavite; one in Laguna; four in Batangas; one in Quezon. Yellow code means one of the factors under the red code like a history of political unrest and presence of NPAs or PAGs exists.
Around 19 LGUs are placed under the orange code with two in Cavite; two in Laguna; five in Batangas; four in Rizal; and six in Quezon -6. Orange code means there are two security risk factors in the red code and presence of NPA.
Albayalde assured that the PNP would strictly observe neutrality and transparency in the conduct of the investigations on erring cops, especially in the ongoing investigation on the killing of the son of the mayor of Sariaya, Quezon and the recent kidnapping of businessman Allan Fajardo at Nuvali hotel in Sta. Rosa City.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1067223
