ILOILO City – The number of arrested election gun ban violators in Western Visayas has risen to 11, data from the Police Regional Office 6 showed.
The gun ban started on Jan. 13.
Aside from the 11 guns seized from the violators, 35 firearms were also surrendered voluntarily to various police offices, according to the PRO-6.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office and Bacolod City Police Office had the most number of arrests made so far – four each.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office made two arrests while the Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO) had one.
The most recent arrest was in Barangay Yabon, Janiuay, Iloilo. Yesterday Rodrigo Lastimoso was caught around 11 a.m. by Barangay Captain Rodolfo Operio holding a 12-gauge shot gun.
Lastimoso was detained at the Janiuay police station.
PRO-6 spokesperson Superintendent Joem Malong said that of the 11 arrested violators, four were security guards; the rest were civilians.
The gun ban ends on June 12.
During the gun ban period, all licenses to carry firearms outside of residences are suspended.
Only members of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement units will be issued written permits by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to carry firearms. But they have to be in their complete uniforms.
The gun ban seeks to prevent unlawful elements such as private armed groups and gun-for-hire groups from intimidating, injuring or killing anyone during the election season.
As provided for in Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, violating the gun ban is an election offense.
Violators face imprisonment “not less than one year but not more than six years.”
Erring uniformed personnel, on the other hand, faces dismissal from the service.
Pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10446, qualified persons and entities may seek exemption to the gun ban and other prohibited acts by applying for the appropriate Certificate of Authority (CA) at the Comelec through the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).
Application forms and requirements for the issuance of a CA must be submitted to the CBFSP Office at the Comelec main office from Dec. 1, 2018 to May 29, 2019./PN
