The Case of the Private Armed Brig of War Gen. Armstrong
Maj. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, Commanding General of the Philippine Army (PA)'s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) issued the recommendation to "continue the relentless efforts in dismantling partisan armed groups" during a post-election conference held here recently.
The 8ID's presentation during the event indicated that the political situation in the May 10 national and local elections was threatened in areas where there continues to exist such armed groups.
The presentation also said that such PAGs "intimidated, harassed and coerced voters while also threatening the credibility of the elections."
Tabaquero told reporters after the presentation that his office has issued the recommendation to totally dismantle the PAGs to eliminate threats in subsequent elections. He also said that these groups are "maintained by unscrupulous politicians in Eastern Visayas." The military official added that reports submitted to his office aver that these PAGS "terrorize people not only during but also after elections."
During the campaign, police and military authorities here told media that there are at least eight PAGs operating in Eastern Visayas maintained by politicians who can be found in three Samar provinces.
Authorities also reported that two of these armed groups were totally dismantled, their firearms confiscated and cases against them filed in court.
The authorities also said that these PAGs do not only sow terror during elections but are also used by politicians to "assassinate political foes" at anytime.
It can be recalled that during the November, 2009 public inquiry initiated and presided over by Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson, Leila M. de Lima in Calbayog City, police and military authorities present reported that most of the culprits involved in the series of killings in the city and nearby towns, as well as in other municipalities in Samar Island's three provinces are PAGs in the employ of politicians.
De Lima said that since 2005, the CHR Regional Office 8 based in Tacloban City, "has taken cognizance of 16 cases of extralegal killings in Eastern Samar, 45 on the western end of the island, and seven in the north, or a total of 68 extralegal killings cases."
Terrorism (International Library of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Penology)
