ILOILO CITY – Police said the robust campaign against loose firearms prevented major election-related violence in Iloilo province.
Police: Crackdown vs loose firearms prevented election violence in Iloilo
By Tara Yap
POLICE conduct a checkpoint in Leganes town, Iloilo province. (Tara Yap)
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office said almost 250 firearms were retrieved beginning Jan. 12, the start of the election gun ban implemented by the Commission on Elections.
Forty-six search warrants were implemented which resulted in the arrest and recovery of 37 people and firearms.
Gun owners surrendered 120 firearms with expired licenses and 89 guns were deposited under the “Oplan: Tokhang Kontra Armas Luthang.”
New IPPO chief Police Col. Roland V. Bulalacao, who replaced Police Col. Bayani Razalan the day before the elections, thanked lawmen for their efforts in the campaign against illegal firearms.
“The diligent efforts of our dedicated and hardworking police personnel have yielded desirable outcomes during the recent election,” said Bulalacao in a statement on Friday, May 16.
The IPPO also considered checkpoints effective in the crackdown against loose firearms.