CEBU CITY -- The ongoing implementation of the election gun ban has already resulted in the arrest of hundreds of violators and confiscation of hundreds of assorted weapons in Central Visayas, the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO 7) reported.
The Police Regional Office-7 reported that data from the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center showed that from January 9 to April 9, 250 individuals were arrested in checkpoints jointly conducted by the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Commission on Elections.
The 90-day operations yielded 252 firearms, 49 deadly weapons and 474 other prohibited items.
Brig. Gen. Eduardo Vega, chief of PRO 7, said the early preparations made by all police units in the Visayas were effective in preventing election-related violence. The national and local elections are set on May 9.
"We remain neutral and non-partisan in the performance of our election duties,” said Vega, stressing the police’ mandate to ensure public security.
“The PRO 7 will continue the conduct of better implementation of anti-criminality, anti-illegal drugs operations, the campaign against loose firearms, counter-insurgency, and the dismantling of private armed groups, which will contribute to the peace and order of the 2022 National and Local Elections," added Vega.
The PRO 7 cited that among the 17 regional police offices in the country, only the PRO 7 and Cordillera Region recorded zero incidents involving elected government officials, appointed government officials, other political aspirants and election-related incidents.
¨The peace and order situation of the region is generally peaceful and manageable,” declared Vega.
Vega said the utilization of the Next Generation Investigation Solutions such as CIRAS, e-Warrant, e-Rouge, CIDMS, and e-Subpoena, contributed enormously to crime prevention and solution.
“It directed the deployment of PNP personnel to crime-prone areas, the faster identity of suspects thru record checking, detection of modes of commission of crimes, and availability of nationwide data on wanted persons," said Vega.