ILOILO City – The number of election gun ban violators arrested in Western Visayas since the prohibition started on Jan. 13 has risen to 36, data from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) showed.
At 11 arrests each, the Negros Police Provincial Office and Bacolod City Police Office had the most apprehensions made among police offices in the region.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office made seven arrests while the Antique and Aklan police offices had two each.
On the other hand, the police offices of Guimaras, Capiz and Iloilo City had one arrest each.
PRO-6 records also showed 50 guns with no exemption from the Commission on Elections have been surrendered to various police stations.
Meanwhile, police units have set up 227 checkpoints across the region to enforce the gun ban.
The violators were all civilians, said Superintendent Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson.
“So far no law enforcers have been arrested for violating the gun ban. Our men are following the law. They are not carrying guns when not in uniform and not on duty,” said Malong.
The five-month gun ban covers the election period of from Jan. 13 to June 12.
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.
The midterm elections are on May 13.
During the gun ban period, all licenses to carry firearms outside of residences are suspended.
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.
Unless properly covered by a CA, any permit to carry firearm/s outside one’s residence or place of business will be ineffective and without force and effect during the election period.
As provided for in Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, violating the gun ban is an election offense.
Violators face imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years./PN
