MANILA, Philippines — Amid the spate of attacks against government officials, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said he had ordered the police to identify hotspots of political violence in the country and intensify the drive against illegal firearms.
Marcos said he had instructed Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to identify hotspots of political violence, usually done during elections.
“Ang sinabi ko is to now make an examination, kagaya nung ating ginagawa kapag darating ang election, kung saan ang hotspot. Sabi ko gawin ninyo uli ngayon, don’t think of elections first but think kung ano ‘yung mga hotspot, ‘yung mga mainit na lugar,” he said in a chance interview in Malacañang.
(I told them to examine, like what is usually done during the elections, to identify the hotspots. I said they should do it again but don’t think of the elections first but think of the hotspots.)
He has also asked them to intensify the drive against illegal firearms and to dismantle “private armies.”
“Ang usual naman talaga na dapat gawin diyan ay hanapin ‘yung illegal firearms. Basta kakaunti ‘yung illegal firearms, kakaunti ‘yung ganyang klaseng krimen,” the President said.
(What should be done there is to find the illegal firearms. If illegal firearms are few, such crimes would be few also.)
Marcos issued the statements following the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, who is one of his close allies, adding that the incident was “shocking” and “particularly terrifying.”
“I couldn’t believe that this would still happen. Pinasok ba naman ang sarili niyang bahay. When you see the video, talagang lahat– basta naharap sa kanila babarilin nila. Ilan ang pinatay nila, walang kinalaman sa kanilang gulo, kanilang away,” he said.
(The perpetrators intruded on the governor’s house. And if you can see in the video, they killed everyone who came in their way, even those who were not involved.)
“So, yes. This one is particularly terrifying. This does not belong in our society. Hindi na pwede ‘yung ganyan kaya’t hindi natin pababayaan,” the President added.
(This cannot happen again, so we will investigate thoroughly.)
The President said the authorities are looking into whether the attacks are isolated.
“We are looking and getting all the best intelligence we can from our people on the ground to tell us where the places we should be looking at. Where do we need more people, where do we need more personnel, who are the personalities involved, etc., all of these things? So we get a good read on the intelligence,” he said.
Marcos said the investigation into the Degamo’s killing is currently going well, and authorities are conducting hot pursuit operations for the suspects.
Degamo was shot by one of six men wearing Army uniforms and bulletproof vests who entered his residential compound in Pamplona town as he met with beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and local officials on Saturday morning.
Marcos said the killing of Degamo is “unacceptable and it will not stand.” It also cannot go unpunished.
He earlier vowed that the government would hunt down all those responsible for the assassination of the Negros Oriental governor.
Degamo is the second provincial chief fatally attacked since Marcos took office last year.
The incident was also the fifth record of violence against government officials this year, including the ambush of Lanao del Sur governor Mamintal Adiong, the ambush-slay of Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda, the ambush of Mayor Ohto Monwal Caumbo, the chief of Datu Montawal in Maguindanao del Sur, and the killing of Vivencio Palo, a barangay captain of Barangay San Carlos, Lipa City, Batangas.
With the spate of attacks, Marcos said he has also ordered a joint unit of the police and military to ramp up their presence to stem attacks on government officials further.
“Mayroon tayong joint na ‘yung army tsaka yung police and between them, I suggest keep your presence known, felt, para hindi magkagulo. So far naman, we have not heard of any instances, o kung mayroong nababalitaan na may planong gawin,” he said.
(We have a joint unit of the army and the police and I told them to keep their presence known and felt to avoid more incidents. So far, we have not heard of any instances or reports of planned violence.)