Gun ban violators in WV swell to 22
Twenty-two persons in Western Visayas have been arrested so far for violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban that started on September 25.
None among those arrested were members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, or government officials.
Records of the Police Regional Office 6 show the 22 violators are all civilians, some of them members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade and personnel of a private security agency.
The arrests led to the confiscation of 21 firearms, including two high-powered and 19 low-powered guns.
Bacolod City topped the number of arrests with six. Negros Occidental followed with five; Iloilo City and Antique, four each; Aklan, two; and Iloilo province, one.
Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr., police regional director, said that with the COMELEC gun ban in effect, he has directed all policemen to go after loose firearms in Western Visayas, following several firearm-related incidents before the gun ban took effect.
Relative to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, the gun ban will be enforced until November 10.
Based on assessment, the COMELEC said the implementation of the gun ban had a very positive feedback.
Like in the previous elections, the COMELEC also granted exemptions to law enforcement authorities who are on active duty.*
