BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – Twenty-seven persons have been arrested for violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban in Western Visayas as of yesterday, Sept. 11.
Data from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) showed two security guards and 25 civilians were caught since the implementation of the Comelec gun ban on Aug. 28 in relation to the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (PPO) topped with the most arrests at eight.
Iloilo PPO netted five violators; Capiz PPO and Iloilo City Police Office with four each; Bacolod City Police Office, three; Aklan PPO, two; and Regional Mobile Force Battalion, one.
The two security guards were caught at the Tabon Port in Caticlan, Malay in Aklan province, unaware of needing a Comelec Certificate of Authority for the gun ban exemption.
“Nag-escort sila sa pagdala ng pera sa isang bangko sa Boracay. Tayo mismo ang nagtanong sa kanila habang naglalakad sila sa Tabon port bitbit ang mga armas. Inaresto sila dahil walang Certificate of Authority sa Comelec,” said Malay acting police chief Lieutenant Colonel Dainis Amuguis.
PRO-6 said 21 firearms and 10 other deadly weapons were recovered.
All arrested persons were charged with violations of the Comelec gun ban and Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
“Sana magsilbing babala ito sa ating mga kababayan. Sana suportahan ng bawat isa ang ating kampanya para sa tagumpay ng parating na halalan,” said Police Brigadier General Sidney N. Villaflor, PRO-6 director. (With a report from Boy Ryan Zabal/AKEAN FORUM)/PN
