Garcia to ask PNP for list of private armed groups before 2025 polls

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia during the press briefing on Thursday, September 28 ahead of Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan Elections at Comelec Central Office in Intramuros Manila. INQUIRER.net / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said on Monday that he will request the Philippine National Police (PNP) a list of all private armed groups (PAGs) nationwide ahead of the 2025 elections.

This is what Garcia said when he was asked what would happen if candidates did not want to remove their PAGs. According to Garcia, the Comelec has the power to deputize the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Ako mismo, hindi papayag na ganyan. (Personally, I will not allow that). In fact, I will demand to request the PNP to submit to us the list of all private armed groups in the entire country,” Garcia said in an interview.

“We will demand that because sa panahon ng (during the) election period, the Comelec can deputize the PNP and AFP and therefore, whatever is the policy pronounced by Comelec, I think they will have to follow,” Garcia added.

READ: Central Luzon cops told to dismantle private armed groups for 2025 polls

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Saturday told Pampanga cops to dismantle the PAGs before the 2025 elections. Central Luzon was among the regions being monitored by the PNP for the surveillance of PAGs for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) 2023 polls.

In 2023, the PNP said that 48 PAGs were under their surveillance ahead of the 2023 BSK elections.

The poll body chief also said that (PAGs) in the country must be abolished to ensure a peaceful election. Garcia also said that a crackdown on PAGs should start even before the election period.

Illegal activities, criminal activities, illegal firearms, and use of terror come from these private armies,” Garcia said in Filipino.

The poll body has set the election period from January 12, 2025, to June 11, 2025.

Further, the poll body chief said that the armed groups could be jailed, citing instances of politicians using uniformed personnel as their own armed groups.

READ: PNP identifies areas of concern for 2023 barangay, SK polls

“They should remember that a candidate or a politician will not have security if it does not have approval from Comelec, and Comelec itself will identify how many security personnel a person should have,” Garcia said in Filipino.