ILOILO City – Thirteen days since the election gun ban started, 33 firearms were confiscated and 24 violators were arrested in Western Visayas, according to the Police Regional Office 6.
Of the 33 confiscated guns, 24 were seized from violators and nine were voluntarily surrendered, the PRO-6’s April 14-27 records showed.
Iloilo City and Bacolod City recorded six gun seizures each. Capiz had five, Negros Occidental had three, Antique had two, while Aklan and Iloilo City had one each, the PRO-6 said.
More of the arrested gun ban violators were from Bacolod City (eight).
Aklan had five, Iloilo province had four, Iloilo City had three, Capiz and Antique had two each. Only the island province of Guimaras had no gun ban violator.
The Commission on Elections is imposing a firearms prohibition in view of the upcoming synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 13.
All permits to carry firearm outside of residence are suspended except for law enforcers in uniform on duty and those who are able to secure an exemption from Comelec.
The latest to be arrested for gun ban violation was Begie Lojera, a security guard from Barangay Manoc-Manoc, Boracay Island, said Chief Inspector Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokeswoman.
Plainclothes officers from the police station in Malay, Aklan arrested Lojera at 11 a.m. on April 27. They caught him wielding a 12-gauge shotgun.
Asked for a Comelec-issued document exempting him from the gun ban, Lojera presented a fake license, police said. He was taken to a police substation in the island resort.
“Once again, I am warning gun owners not to carry their firearms outside of residence,” Malong said, adding that security guards not in proper uniform and without Comelec exemption will be arrested, too.
She clarified that law enforcers bringing firearms while in civilian clothing will be arrested as well if they lack Comelec exemption./PN
