MANILA, Philippines—Authorities are monitoring some local officials who allegedly provided protection to members of the notorious Alvin Flores robbery gang, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said on Tuesday, even as he announced a more intensified police operation to account for the remaining 30 gang members.

“We are checking reports that when one of the members of the Alvin Flores group was wounded, he was taken in by one politician,” Verzosa said, but he refused to disclose the name of the local official pending investigation.

Verzosa said police are strongly looking at several local chief executives allegedly coddling criminals who “will be converted into threat groups in the coming elections.”

He said police are banking on intelligence reports as well as information provided by Warlito Rodriquito, an alleged member of the robbery group who surrendered in Pangasinan province, for arrest the rest of the Alvin Flores robbery gang.

The gang, which was tagged as responsible for a series of bank robberies in Metro Manila, was believed behind the robbery at a Rolex watch store in the upscale Greenbelt mall last October 18.

The robbery gang leader, Flores, was killed by police in Cebu City on October 29.

“We are investigating the revelations being given by [Rodriquito] and we are investigating the circumstances and involvement of other personalities as well as elected officials,” Verzosa told reporters.

Tracker teams from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group have been deployed in nearby provinces in Luzon to account for the remaining members of the group, Verzosa added.

He said that the police will also be coming up with a “link diagram,” showing the connection of the gang to other prominent robbery gangs, particularly the Ilonggo, Waray-Waray, and the Ozamiz robbers.

“We are looking at other activities of the Alvin Flores group and other incidents if they are in cahoots with other criminal elements,” Verzosa said.