MANILA, Philippines?President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday ordered the creation of a commission to oversee the dismantling of political clan-dominated private armies in Maguindanao and other hot spots in the country.

Arroyo issued the order during a meeting of the National Security Council on the Maguindanao massacre in Malacañang Friday afternoon, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde announced in a briefing.

"I'm happy to announce that one of the decisions arrived at... was the creation of a commission to dismantle private armed groups especially those related to political clans,'' he said.

Remonde said the fact-finding commission will be headed by a retired justice, but he declined to give a name pending the nominee?s acceptance of the appointment.

The Philippine National Police was expected to step up the dismantling of private armies in the run-up to the May 2010 elections, and would need the guidance of such a commission, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said.

"With the creation of the commission, we hope that the PNP will be properly guided in its actions relative to the dismantling of private armies, especially clan-dominated private armies,'' he said in the same briefing.

Maguindanao as well as Basilan, Sulu, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Samar, Masbate, Nueva Ecija and Abra are on the initial list of election "hot spots'' because of the presence of private armies, according to PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa.

"The creation of the fact-finding commission is necessary because there is a political flavor on the how this massacre transpired, and there is the involvement of several para-military groups in massacre,'' he said.

Arroyo had earlier placed Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under a state of emergency in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre.

Verzosa said the private armed group of Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay town carried out the massacre.

"This is an organized criminal political group that perpetrated the massacre of the 57 persons,'' he said.

Puno clarified that the civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) who have armed themselves illegally in Maguindanao would be the target of the crackdown on private armed groups.

"They constitute the private armies that we are talking about,'' he said.

To carry out the dismantling, the government is deploying more troops and investigators in Maguindanao, Verzosa said.

"We have to employ additional law enforcement personnel. Also we have to get the help of other agencies, like the prosecutors and also those who are involved in the investigation like the different courts,'' he said.

According to Verzosa, private armed groups take shape before the elections.

"We are maintaining an intelligence database pertaining to private armed groups that were formed and neutralized. And these private armed groups suddenly take shape before the elections,'' he said.

He said the commission should dig deeper into why these "armed groups'' were concentrated in "particular clans.''

"We'll inform you in the near future those we've identified,'' he said.