65 gun ban violators hauled to jail
SIXTY-FIVE gun ban offenders were apprehended by agents of the National Capital Region Police Office in Metro Manila during the first week of the prohibition on the unauthorized carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons imposed to help ensure a peaceful and orderly October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, NCRPO director Brigadier General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said yesterday.
The official said that since last August 28, his men have been deployed in different areas of the metropolis to monitor the strict gun ban enforcement.
Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that from August 29 to September 4, they conducted a total of 1,319 Commission on Elections-supervised checkpoints which led to the arrest of 65 gun ban violators.
Three of the offenders were arrested during a checkpoint while the rest were arrested during police/patrol response and conduct of ‘Oplan Sita’ or routine gun checks.
The official said that those operations likewise led to the confiscation of 16 illegal firearms and 23 gun replicas and improvised or home-made firearms as well as 196 other deadly weapons
Brig. Gen. Nartatez reiterated that all kinds of firearms, even with license and permit to carry will not be allowed to be brought outside the owner’s residence during the imposition of the gun ban unless the bearer has a gun ban exemption permit from the Comelec.
He likewise advised personnel of the law enforcement agencies to wear their proper uniforms to avoid getting into trouble.
As of yesterday, Philippine National Police Public Information Office chief, Colonel Jean S. Fajardo said that the gun ban violators arrested have already risen to 277 with 271 of them civilians.
The rest are one policeman, two members of the Armed Forces, one Elected Government Official, and two security guards.
Col. Fajardo said that recovered during the period were 169 small arms and four light weapons.
Gen. Acorda also reminded all holders of Permit-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence that their PTCFORs have been suspended from August 29 to November 29 and thus, they cannot carry their licensed guns unless they have exemptions from the Comelec.
Gen. Acorda assured that barangay officials who really have credible threats on their lives will be secured by the police force. “If we see a real threat to the life of a person, whether he is a candidate or not, we have to provide security. It is our duty to provide such kind of protection,” he explained.
