PNP steps up information drive on gun ban
San Jose, Antique -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be imposing a total gun ban starting January until June 2007 with the forthcoming election of local officials, lawmakers from the House of Representative and the Senate in May. This is to prevent outbreak of violence in the 2007 election.
Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, chief of the PNP Firearms and Explosive Division said, the gun ban would take effect on January 14 until June 13, 2007 based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 7707.
According to Marloe L. Marfil, Police Chief Inspector and Deputy Provincial Director for Operations, the PNP here had received a communication on the total Gun Ban, Calendar of Activities and period of Prohibited Acts in connection with the May 14, 2007 synchronized national and local elections.
The gun ban covers carrying, transporting of firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess the same, unless authorized in writing by the Comelec pursuant to Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code as amended by Section 32, Republic Act 7166.
Marfil furthered that the PNP has an on going campaign against loose firearms and carrying licensed firearms without permit to carry outside of residence as contained in Letter of Instruction (LOI) 24-2000 and LOI 40/06 on the organization/creation of "Task Force Armas", from the provincial down to the municipal level, with the deputy provincial director and the chief of police in the municipalities as the over all team leader respectively.
In pursuit of the mandated tasks, CInsp. Marfil said that their efforts yielded positive results. A number of loose firearms were recovered, either through search and seizure operations or voluntary surrender. He added that appropriate charges were filed in courts against the violators and the confiscated firearms serve as evidence pursuant to Republic Act 8294.
The ongoing campaign against loose firearms through "operation bakal", conduct of check points and monitoring people with unlicensed firearms, or carrying of firearms without permit to carry outside of residence, have increased the people's awareness that the PNP really means business. Marfil enjoined the persons concerned to cooperate and report to the authorities any information that will help in the peace and order campaign or surrender their loose firearms to avoid criminal liability.
(PIA)