More than a 100 members of an urban poor group will file charges against their leaders, a police report said Friday.

In a report, Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, acting Bulacan provincial police director, said a total of 132 breakaway members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) with other media representatives sought the assistance of the Bulacan PNP Legal Office on Friday.

Bersaluna said members of the breakaway group want to file charges against their 17 former leaders.

“The complainants claimed that they are filing cases against the Kadamay leaders for their alleged anomalies in collecting funds for their activities and threats they are receiving after they decided to break away from the militant group,” the report stated.

It also noted that Bulacan PNP Legal Officer Supt. Ariel Alvarado “has consented to prepare appropriate legal documents that the breakaway group of Kadamay will use to file cases against the Kadamay leaders.”

Bersaluna also mentioned that “the breakaway faction also sought the assistance of the 48th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army for their safety and security.”

In a text message to the Daily Manila Shimbun, Michael Beltran, Kadamay information officer, denied the group’s allegations and stressed breakaway members only numbers around 20 people.

“That breakaway group of only around 20 people, not hundreds is actually the perpetrators of the mentioned crimes. They are led by thieves and murderers but protected by the police, the NHA ( National Housing Authority) and the Duterte government,” claimed Beltran.

Beltran said the Kadamay breakaway group is being led by a certain Jeffrey Ariz.

It can be recalled that on March 8 2017, thousands of Kadamay members occupied the housing units of the National Housing Authority (NHA) in Pandi, Bulacan.

The units they have occupied, which were for soldiers and policemen, were given to them by President Rodrigo Duterte. But the Kadamay members claimed there was no electricity or adequate water supplies.

In June 2018, Kadamay members tried to take over the housing units in Rodriguez, Rizal but they failed after they were barred by residents from entering the area. Robina Asido/DMS