Comelec fails to learn lessons from Ampatuan massacre
By: HON. WALDEN F. BELLO, Representative, AKBAYAN Party-List
COMELEC failed to learn the lessons from the Ampatuan massacre and the country must now brace for what could be the one of its bloodiest elections.
This was the assertion of Akbayan party-list representative Walden Bello regarding the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exempt the Civilian Active Auxiliaries (CAA) from the total gun ban.
The Ampatuan massacre is the biggest case against this decision. Now the whole country must brace for what could be the bloodiest elections in Philippine history,” said Bello on Wednesday.
“Comelec officials seem to be alienated from the realities of Philippine politics. This is like giving political clans the license to arm and unleash their dogs of war against each other, just like in Maguindanao when the Ampatuans massacred their political enemies that resulted to the death of 57 people, including media practitioners,” noted Bello.
The Comelec, through Resolution 8742 which amended Resolution 8714, justified their decision by stating that the Civilian Active Auxiliaries (CAA), known in many parts of the country as Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and in many areas in Mindanao as Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs), are part of the command structure of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and as such enjoy the privileges granted to the AFP personnel.
In certain areas CAAs are tapped as security personnel by some private companies and government agencies, making them armed and dangerous to the populace.
In connection with this, Bello called on the Comelec to immediately rectify the mistake and immediately order for the disarmament of the CAAs.
“Comelec must immediately rectify this unimaginable mistake. The country and the election process will surely suffer,” Bello added.
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Gun ban exemption
Meanwhile, the Comelec has exempted the military’s civilian auxiliary force, state treasurers, presidential security aides, fire fighters and foreign dignitaries from the 150-day nationwide firearms ban that started on Sunday.
In Resolution 8742, exemptions were given to members of Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGU), Presidential Security Group, Bureau of Fire Protection, state treasurers and security personnel of the Bureau of the Treasury, and security personnel of accredited foreign diplomatic corps.
The gun ban has been enforced during the election period.
The poll body also allowed the delivery within 24 hours of purchased firearms to buyers; transport of guns and spare parts to sea ports; and the delivery of imported materials used in making firearms to factories of licensed manufacturers.
The three-page resolution, promulgated on Monday, amended Resolution 8714 that contained the rules on bearing, carrying or transporting of firearms and the procedures on availing the services of security aides during the election period.
Elections Commissioner Lucenito N. Tagle, head of the Committee on Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel, said in an interview with reporters yesterday that they will not limit the number of security aides employed by foreign embassies and dignitaries. Optical Media Board personnel are also exempted from the ban, he added.
For his part, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., said in a separate phone interview that the military would implement strict administrative controls on CAFGU members to insulate them from partisan politics and to prevent politicians from using them as private armies.
The AFP would implement a strict implementation of the duty system and monitoring of CAFGU attendance, he said.
The military would only allow the 50,000 CAFGU members “to carry their firearms within their detachments,” he added.
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reynz is one Uragon and a Filipino-American, has many years of public accounting & auditing, broadcast investments, housing tax credits and equity investments as his background. Based in the US, he maintains his personal and humor blog at reyna elena dot com. A graduate of Aquinas U, he went to GWU and Temple U in the United States.
Among the presidentiables, I think it is only Gibo that has a structured plan to prevent this.
Oo nga at kailangan natin ng justice para ma attain ang peace. kailangan na merong arm of the government na may dalang mga baril at any time.
Pero kulang tayo ng mga sundalo. This situation forces us to let these CAAs continue.
That’s how I understand this situation.
Nahhh… I don’t believe Gibo, it was reported nga before that Gibo met with the 2 clans to prevent this unfortunate massacre pero hindi siya pinakinggan.Magiging puppet government lang ulit tayo ng boss niya. Meaning: GMA part 2 rin ang pamamalakad niya, period.
lalong magkukulang ang sundalo kung exempted ang mga military auxiliaries sa gun ban. alam naman nating ginagamit ang mga yan in many places as private armies or body guards ng mga pulitiko. allowing them to bear arms during the election period will not solve the problem, it will make the situation worse.