THE police, military and local political leaders in Samar province agreed to sign a covenant on October 1 and pledge that they will never support or use private armed groups (PAGs).
The deal came as a result of the Samar Peace and Security Dialogue initiated by law enforcement agencies after the killing of a family in an interior village of Calbayog City.
The massacre is linked to private-armed groups, reportedly supported by local politicians in the province.
Law enforcement agencies have recorded 34 shooting incidents in Calbayog alone, killing 22 people.
Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division Commander, Major General Jet Velarmino, said the military had an agreement with Police Regional Director Asher Dolina to jointly stop violence in Samar province.
But stopping this problem needs help and cooperation from local government officials of Samar, said Velarmino.
“We need your help to stop these killings,” he told Samar officials during a recent meeting with them.
Present during the gathering were Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan-de los Santos, Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino, Vice Governor Stephen James Tan, some town mayors, Provincial Board members and village officials.
“You are from Samar, you must show your concern to your province like how we in the law enforcement agency shows our eagerness to solve the problem in this place,” said Velarmino.
“We don’t like to see people die just because of misunderstanding and differences in our political view,” he added.
For his part, Dolina said the existence of killings affects development and prevents investors from coming in, resulting in poverty among the people.
“No investors in a right mind will insist if they will read every day in newspaper that there are killings in Samar. There will be no progress in this province,” Dolina said.
He added that what had happened in Calbayog where innocent people like children and women are victims of a shooting incident is not acceptable and must be “categorized as animalistic act.”
“Local leaders should initiate to put an end to the lawlessness happening in the province of Samar in order not to affect their effort in promoting the province for possible future investors,” the police official added.
He then urged local chief executives in Samar to denounce PAGs and promise not to form and use the same in the 2016 elections.
In response, Tan and Aquino both said that they do not tolerate PAGs for their political advancement.
“I assure you that I will not tolerate and at the same time I will not support PAGs,” said Governor Tan, who also asked municipal mayors to follow her in condemning PAGs, not only in words, but also in action.
Mayor Aquino, for his part, said that PAGs have no room in his leadership, citing his first order when he assumed post as city mayor was not to re-hire PAGs members who received salaries from the City Government as job order employees.
He said policemen should go against members of PAGs since most of them have existing criminal record and cases filed in court with standing warrant of arrest. (PNA)
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