CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews/06 November) — Police authorities in Northern Mindanao are closely monitoring two notorious bank robbery and car theft gangs which are said to be capable of sowing violence in the run-up to the May 2013 elections.
Chief Supt. Gil J. Hitosis, Region 10 police director said their national headquarters has directed them to closely monitor the Alferez robbery gang and the Ozamis-based Dragon Gang which might sell their services to politicians during the election campaign.
“Manila came up with a list of groups to watch and it says Region 10 do not have private armed groups. But these two groups are being investigated,” Hitosis said.
The Philippine National Police has targeted 60 private armed groups and has mobilized its regional units to take aggressive actions to ensure the holding of peaceful elections next year.
Alferez is a Mindanao-based robbery gang tagged in several high-profile bank heists in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Gang whose members mostly hail from Ozamiz City are the primary suspects in several bank heists in Mindanao.
Hitosis said they want to make sure that the two groups will not be able to sow trouble in the coming months.
He said there are only three areas of concern in Region 10 where violence may escalate in the months ahead.
“We are closely monitoring the political activities in Tangub and Ozamis cities as well as the town of Sapang Dalaga in Misamis Occidental,” Hitosis said. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)