BACOLOD CITY – Sixty-nine persons were apprehended for violating the election gun ban in Negros Island from Jan. 12 to June 11.
PERSONNEL of Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) in Bacolod City. (Photo via PRO-NIR FB)
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office caught 41, followed by Bacolod City Police Office with 15, and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office with 13.
Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Negros Occidental police spokesperson, said 44 gun ban incidents were recorded and 47 firearms were confiscated in six months.
Catalogo said suspects in Negros Occidental were arrested in search warrant and buy-bust operations, implementation of laws, and police responses.
“These are products of our intensified police operations against loose firearms,” he said.
Catalogo said no apprehensions were made by the police in 24-hour checkpoint operations during the gun ban.
Catalogo said that their intensified campaign stemmed from previous shooting incidents involving loose firearms. “This is to address incidents and situations which involved civilians with loose firearms,” he added. Catalogo stressed that this is part of their strengthened crime prevention measures in the province.
Police Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for Negros Oriental police, said that 12 firearms were confiscated from civilians in 13 police operations, including checkpoints.
Polinar said that most of the firearms were confiscated from anti-illegal drug operations.
He said that Norppo had the fewest violators among the three police offices and considered this figure minimal.
“This is due to our maximum efforts to reduce the number of gun ban violators in the province,” he added.
Violators have been charged for gun ban violations.