By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said yesterday they are not monitoring any presence of “private armed groups” in the city, as security preparations continue for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.

Police Major Joery Puerto, BCPO’s City Intelligence Unit head, said they have already conducted a threat assessment for city and village officials.

Puerto said all of them have not received any threats.

He added that the elected officials also do not have private armies.

Several of them have bodyguards, all of whom are legitimate and authorized by the Philippine National Police (PNP), he said.

He further added that they are continuing to monitor the situation in the city as the local polls get closer.

Based on data released by the PNP-Public Information Office (PIO) on Monday, May 22, they are monitoring a total of 48 private armed groups across the country, with three tagged as “active” and 45 tagged as “potentially active.”

PNP-PIO chief, Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, said these groups are heavily involved in murder and harassment cases, especially during elections.

Among the regions being monitored for activity of private armed groups include Western Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao./DGB, WDJ