ILOILO CITY – Police have apprehended 115 individuals for violating the gun ban in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the Western Visayas region.
THE Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) conducts a checkpoint in Jaro, Iloilo City in line with the gun ban for the barangay elections. (Tara Yap)
“Magdadalawang buwan na po nating ipinapatupad ang gun ban at sana po ay hindi na po madagdagan ang mga bilang nito (We’ve been implementing the gun ban for the past two months. Hopefully, the number will not rise),” said Police Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 chief.
Majority of the violators from August 28 to October 27 of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were civilians with 109. There were two security guards, a police officer, and two personnel from other law enforcement agencies.
Police Major Mary Grace Borio, PRO-6 spokesperson, said off-duty policemen and other law enforcers cannot carry firearms except from place of duty to their homes and vice versa.
Police seized 80 firearms, 347 ammunition, two explosives, and 48 deadly other weapons.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office arrested 33 gun ban violators, followed by the Iloilo PPO with 18, Iloilo City Police Office with 16, Aklan PPO with 11, Capiz PPO with nine, Guimaras PPO with four, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RFMB)-6 with three, and Antique PPO with two.
Election Day is on October 30 and the gun ban ends on November 29.