BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA and RUBY SILUBRICO
BACOLOD City – Late night on Jan. 9, the first day of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a police checkpoint in Barangay 9, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental intercepted a man with a gun.
The 21-year-old Christopher Gaisen, a resident of Sitio Bunga, Barangay Orong, Kabankalan City, became Western Visayas’ first arrested Comelec gun ban violator. He yielded a .38 revolver.
Police also recovered from Gaisen five live .38 bullets and two bladed weapons.
Charges for violation of the Comelec gun ban and violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act (illegal possession of gun) would be filed against Gaisen.
Gaisen was a passenger of a tricycle that the cops flagged down at the checkpoint for inspection at around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.
As cops were reviewing the tricycle driver’s documents, they spotted Gaisen at the passenger seat with the handle of his gun protruding from his unzipped sling bag.
Gaisen failed to show pertinent documents for the firearm.
According to Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) spokesperson, Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, the bail bond for the charge of Comelec gun ban violation is P20,000 minimum while for violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), P120,000.
A Comelec gun ban violator faces a maximum prison term of six years.
“We strictly implement the gun ban. So ang may mga armas palihog lang bawal danay nga dal-on bisan kompleto sa papeles kay election period kita subong,” Solis said.
Potentially deadly weapons such as knives, icepicks and bolos are also covered by the Comelec gun ban.
The Comelec gun ban ends on June 8, one a month after the May 9, 2022 elections.
Comelec Resolution No. 10741 set the checkpoint guidelines, according to Solis.
There shall be at least one Comelec checkpoint in each city or municipality.
Additional checkpoints of the Philippine National Police (PNP) or Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) may be established in coordination with the Election Officer (EO) having jurisdiction over the city or municipality.
Any unit designated to man a Comelec checkpoint must be led by a regular member of the AFP or the PNP with a rank of at least Lieutenant or Police Lieutenant.
In the absence of these ranks, the highest ranking officer shall make a special designation of a lower ranking officer or non-commissioned officer to act as a commanding officer or team leader of the checkpoint.
An adequate number, according to the Comelec, of AFP and PNP personnel shall man checkpoints and must be in complete service uniform with the name plates and other identification tags clearly visible and readabl. They shall not be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Checkpoints must be well-lighted and properly identified so that those who will pass through them could easily identify the AFP/PNP uniformed personnel manning the checkpoints with their nameplates and other identification tags clearly visible and readable./PN
