Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Tuesday said the Philippine National Police should go after all guns-for-hire and hit squads as part of their regular operations to promote law and order in the entire country.
“Gawin na yan ASAP! Disarm them and file cases with sufficient evidence,” said the former Senate president.
If evidence warrants, he said charges should be filed against all those with links to the syndicate.
He noted that those who employed guns-for-hire are actually principals in the crime. “Their liability is the same or as serious as the gunman,” he said.
But Senator Panfilo Lacson said he believes it is premature for the PNP to name names if they are not yet ready to file the necessary charges.
He said politicians using gun-for-hire elements to eliminate their opponents is happening as long as there were elections or since elections were first invented, especially at the local level.
For his part, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he doubts if PNP chief Oscar Albayalde plucked his report out of thin air.
“They must have uncovered plots or intelligent reports on guns-for-hire syndicates.
“The problem is proving these allegations in court to be able to file the necessary charges,” he said.