By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Bayan Muna Representative and senatorial bet Satur Ocampo questioned the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on its decision in exempting the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) from gun ban during election period.

In a Comelec resolution 8742 released on January 11, government militia particularly the Cafgu, together with the Presidential Security Group (PSG), the Bureau of Fire Protection, the treasurer of the Philippines, deputy tresurers and the internal security division of the Bureau of Treasury are all exempted from the gun ban which started January 10 and will end on July 2 of 2010.

Comelec Commissioner and CBFSP head Lucenito Tagle said that they exempted the CAFGU, the PSG and the other groups because they are under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police. The commission also exempted the security personnel of accredited foreign diplomatic corps and establishments and foreign military personnel in the Philippines who are covered by existing treaties and international agreements.

Ocampo said that members of the Cafgu are often serving as bodyguards and goons of local warlords. He said they are being used as instruments for harassing and even killing supporters of rival candidates on election period. Ocampo added that they are given the most minimal training on gun handling and gun ethics with almost no idea on the respect of civil, political and human rights.

According to Ocampo, many of the Cafgus have become legitimized private armies for warlords and local government officials in the provinces and are allowed to carry firearms during the election period thus defeating the purpose of the election gun ban.

“Cafgus have been involved in many cases of human rights violations perpetrated against civilians. The Comelec should include them in the gun ban. In fact, the very institution itself should have been dismantled a long time ago!” said Ocampo.

The militant lawmaker also criticized the decision of Comelec accepting applications from officials for exemptions on various grounds. Ocampo said there are far too many exemptions that it is almost as if there is no gun ban at all. He added that by election day, there will be many people carrying guns.

The Comelec Regional Joint Security Control Centers (RJSCC) will accept applications from congressional candidates and other candidates for local elective positions for authority to employ bodyguards in the regions. It also authorizes the transfer or delivery of firearms bought during the election period so long as it is done by the “authorized dealer itself on a one way basis directly to the address of the buyer within twenty four hours.”

Ocampo said that the gun ban of the Comelec will soon turn out to be a failure. “Does the Comelec have the means and the manpower to monitor the activities of all local candidates and their security forces? Can the Comelec keep an eye on all the security forces of all the officials and agencies they exempt from the gun ban? I don’t think so,” Ocampo stressed.

Meanwhile, the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) called on the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to dismantle all para-military groups as election season started January 10.

Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes Jr said that the dismantling of all para-military units and armed civilian groups is imperative if private armies and local warlords are to be eliminated. “It is a well-known fact that these armed civilians are being used by local politicians as their own private armies. We have seen as much in the Ampatuan massacre,” Reyes said.

Issue on the para-military groups and armed civilian volunteers were highlighted in the news after the November 23 Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao where a hundred elements of Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVO) were involved in the massacre of 57 civilians and members of the media.

The CVOs involved were reportedly part of the Ampatuan clan’s private army.
“The Arroyo government has boasted that it will be coming down hard on private armies as we enter the election period. But unless Arroyo dismantles all para-military groups and revokes Executive Order 546, all this talk of going after private armies will be empty rhetoric,” said Reyes.

E.O. 546 was signed by President Arroyo in 2006 for the mobilization, training and arming of CVOs as local armed units under the supervision of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for counter-insurgency operations. The said CVOs are in addition to the Cafgus under the command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. # nordis.net