Guns-for-hire and politicians

EDITORIAL

There could be truth to allegations of  Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde who had confirmed that incumbent politicians and candidates for the 2019 elections are now using  services of five guns-for-hire like the group arrested by the PNP- Anti Kidnapping Group (AKG) in Quezon City and Isabela.

A police task force is now investigating the death of the mayor of Balaoan, La Union and wounding of the vice mayor who is his daughter when they were ambushed by unidentified gunmen in the town Wednesday morning.

Seven persons were also wounded in the ambush and taken to hospitals in critical condition.

The convoy of Balaoan town mayor Aleli Concepcion and vice mayor Alfred Concepcion was ambushed by unidentified gunmen, said La Union Police Provincial Director Senior Supt. Ricardo Layug. The incident took place around 8:10 a.m. on Balaoan Luna Road, Barangay Cabuaan.

Also wounded were identified as Roniel R. Valdez, 45, driver of Mayor Concepcion; Dominador S. Bautista, 30; Joey V. Lopez, 33. driver of vice mayor Concepcion; Samuel O. Natividad, 46;; Danilo C. Mendoza, 50,kagawad; Roberto A. Octavo, 58, tricycle driver, bystander and Marilou O. Dingle, 37, bystander.

In the case of the assassins operating in Isabela and Manila, Albayalde said the criminal syndicate, headed by Ricardo Peralta, is often hired by governors and mayors to serve as private armies and to commit intimidation or even assassination against their political rivals.

Following this, he said the PNP is serious and had intensified campaign against private armed groups and loose firearms.

The PNP chief refused to name said politicians who hail from Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Metro Manila, Bulacan, and La Union, but said they are coordinating with the Dept. of Interior and Local Government regarding the allegations.

“We can always conduct police operations against them if we get evidence that they are also in possession of unlicensed firearms. We can always apply search warrant also against them and we will coordinate with DILG on that,” Albayalde said.

PNP-AKG Director PCSupt. Glen Dumlao said five suspects were found to be in possession of high-caliber guns, ammunition, and grenades.

The AKG has launched a manhunt for the group’s leader, Ricardo Peralta, who has a P5 million bounty on his head offered by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) over various crimes.

“We are very happy na yung VACC ay nakikipag tulungan sa amin in pursuing this criminal kasi iba na po yung personality ni Ric Peralta, iba na yung mukha niya. Iba yung ginagamit niyang mga pangalan that’s why yung mga pulitiko na kliyente nila ay inaaccept siya dahil hindi siya kilala. He is passing his self as security consultant with military and police background,” said Dumlao.

The PNP vowed to exert efforts in capturing criminal syndicates that are used being by politicians as their private armies.

This, as Christopher Alain Alvero, another gun-for-hire and a high-value target involved in illegal drugs, was killed along with two others in a police operation in San Pablo Laguna Nov. 10.

If not nipped in the bud, more candidates for political position in the May 2019 would die