Can the Commission on Elections (Comelec) by its lonesome do the seemingly impossible, which is to dismantle the private armies of politicians?
Not by a long shot.
The poll body will have to issue a resolution to place the Philippine National Police (PNP) under its supervision and control and at the same time deputize the Armed Forces of the Philippines to bolster security measures for the coming May 2025 polls.
The 1987 Constitution empowers the Comelec to “deputize, with the concurrence of the President, law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the Government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for the exclusive purpose of ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections.”
For Comelec chairperson George Garcia, it is imperative for private armies to be dismantled as the election nears so that candidates cannot use them to advance their own political interests, including coercing or intimidating the electorate to vote for them.
“We really want to dismantle all private armies. Private armies cannot exist at the time of the elections or even at the time of the campaign period,” he pointed out.
The Comelec has long called for intensified campaigns against private armed groups or private armies supposedly on the payroll of some candidates.
In a previous resolution, the poll body also urged authorities to look into private security agencies that are essentially acting as private armies of politicians.
The poll body has emphasized that it would not hesitate to use all resources available to ensure that the voters are able to exercise their right of suffrage, that nobody is disenfranchised, and the people are not threatened or terrorized during the campaign period, on election day itself, or during the post-election period.
The Comelec should exhaust all efforts to ensure the conduct of peaceful and honest elections in May 2025. President Marcos has given the constitutional body clear instructions to ensure the safety and security of candidates and the public in the upcoming polls.
“How can the voters reflect their true sentiments if they are voting out of fear or because they were forced? That shouldn’t be the case. Voting should be voluntary on the part of our countrymen,” the Comelec chief said recently.
We agree completely. The right of suffrage is guaranteed by our fundamental law, and the government should see to it that voters can exercise this right free from any obstacles and hindrances, including the use of private armed groups by unscrupulous politicians to impose their will on the electorate.
