11 arrested for gun ban violation
Six members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, four civilians, and a security guard comprise the 11 persons who were arrested in Western Visayas for violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban that started September 25.
Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr., police regional director, said that five firearms were confiscated from those arrested during the first day.
Three of these were seized in checkpoints established by the police in Iloilo City and Antique province, while the two others, in operations in Antique and Bacolod City.
In Iloilo City, Mark Lester Monsale, 23, a security guard, was arrested in a checkpoint at Jaro district.
Monsale, who was driving a motorcyle without license and believed to be under the influence of liquor, was found with a .38 caliber revolver loaded with six ammunition.
In Sibalom, Antique, two were arrested by policemen in a COMELEC checkpoint. Robert Memeje and Lazaro Cabigunda each yielded a homemade shotgun.
Six members of RPA-ABB were also apprehended in Sibalom, Antique as one of them, Joshua Saturnino, was carrying a homemade shotgun.
In Bacolod City, Edwin Tangal and Eduardo Banas were arrested after causing alarm and scandal in Brgy. Taculing. One of the suspects yielded a .38 caliber homemade pistol.
On the second day, members of La Paz Police Station arrested Edward Bisec, 23.
Loose Firearms
With the COMELEC gun ban in effect, Pagdilao also directed all policemen to go after loose firearms in Western Visayas, following several firearm-related incidents before September 25.
A day before the gun ban started, police recorded two shooting incidents in Iloilo province, one each in Dumangas and Calinog towns, involving the use of homemade shotguns.*
