Police warns of 7 criminal groups in Iloilo province

Tayaba also confirmed that some of these criminal gangs have connections with politicians. (Photo: PNP-Iloilo Police Provincial Office/Facebook)

ILOILO CITY— The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has warned of seven criminal gangs currently operating in Iloilo.

IPPO Director, Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, in an interview Thursday afternoon, did not divulge the names of these criminal gangs for “operations concern,” but assured that they are doing their best to have them neutralized.

According to Tayaba, four of these gangs are operating in the 5th congressional district of the province; two in the 3rd congressional district; and one in 4th congressional district.

Specifically, they are in the towns of Sara, San Rafael, Estancia, and Lemery in the 5th district; towns of Calinog and Pototan in the 3rd district; and San Enrique town in the 4th district, he added.

These criminal gangs have a total of 53 members with 66 firearms.

“These criminal gangs are convertible. They can be gun-for-hire maybe in one time, they also indulge in illegal drugs and they are hired during elections as private armed groups,” he said.

He added that these groups are also used to spread terrors and fears among people to control the place and project chaos that promotes “culture of violence.”

Tayaba also confirmed that some of these criminal gangs have connections with politicians.

Meanwhile, 5th District Rep. Raul Tupas said he was already informed about the four criminal gangs in his district. He vowed to stop these criminal gangs and protect the people in his district.

A one-day summit was conducted on Thursday to address the peace and order problem in the province’s 5th district.

Tupas recognized the importance of the summit as venue to discuss among stakeholders how they can contribute in addressing the problem on the presence of criminal gangs and other concerns relative to peace and order.