Dismantling private armies… again
Verbal tussles have started as politicians prepare for the May 2022 elections. The fights are expected to escalate as politicians declare their intentions to run when they file their certificates of candidacy next month.
The verbal arguments are expected among rival candidates. Unfortunately in this country, electoral rivalries can deteriorate into armed violence. And the violence often turns lethal, for candidates and supporters alike.
Because of the weakness of the criminal justice system, murder has become the ultimate tool for eliminating political opponents during elections. Every unsolved killing breeds impunity – and the list of such cases keeps growing. In every major electoral exercise, dozens of political killings are recorded.
The chief of the Philippine National Police, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, is hoping to curb the violence in the 2022 general elections, by launching a crackdown on loose firearms. Such PNP crackdowns are not new; orders to carry them out are always issued as elections approach. It remains to be seen whether Eleazar can make a dent in the problem.
To gain a significant headway, Eleazar will need a lot of political support. Among the biggest violators of gun laws are politicians, who maintain private armies with a stable of hired guns to go after their enemies. Such private armed goons are unlikely to have licensed guns, but many politicians are emboldened by their alliances with those in power. Eleazar’s task will also be complicated by the proposal to arm civilians to serve as so-called force multipliers of regular security forces.
Politicians are also among the biggest smugglers of guns and ammunition, often brought in through coastal communities. Apart from cracking down on the movement by land of loose firearms, the PNP must coordinate with the Coast Guard for tighter coastal patrols.
The 2009 massacre in Maguindanao, perpetrated by the Ampatuan clan and their private army, was the worst example of election violence in this country. But similar attacks occur, on a lesser scale, in many areas during elections, undermining the will of voters. The success of any crackdown on private armies requires not only PNP muscle but also a sincere and determined political will.