Gunban violators nearing 1,000 marks – PNP
THE number of gun ban violators apprehended by agents of the Philippine National Police across the country since last January 12 rose to 971 as of Monday with 88 of them arrested since the start of the national campaign period, PNP Public Information Office chief, Colonel Randulf T. Tuaño said.
The official said that the strict enforcement of the nationwide prohibition on the unauthorized carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons ordered by PNP chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil has already led to the confiscation of 962 assorted guns.
Col. Tuaño said that since February 11, the day the campaign period for national candidates began, 88 gun ban violators have been apprehended or nine percent of the total arrests while 93 firearms have been seized or nine percent of the total confiscated guns.
Citing a report from PNP Civil Security Group director Major Gen. Leo M. Francisco, the official said that of the 22 security guards reported to have been arrested for violating the gun ban, only three were found to be duly licensed security guards. At the same time, 10 have no license to exercise the security profession, and six have expired licenses. At the same time, the documents of the remaining three are still being verified since they have no middle names in their application papers.
He said that the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies headed by Brigadier Gen. Marlou Roy V. Alzate will make a full recommendation to Maj. Gen. Francisco once its investigation into the papers of the 22 is finished.
The security agencies that employ the 22 guards are expected to be sanctioned by the PNP-CSG once the SOSIA probe is done.
16 ELECTION-RELATED INCIDENTS
Col. Tuaño added that they have recorded 16 Election-Related Incidents or ERIs since last January 12 although a validation showed that 13 of them are non-ERIs while two are Suspected ERIs.
Another has been validated as an ERI-one which involves the destruction of the tarpaulins of a mayoralty candidate in Region 6 by his rivals although the case has been amicably settled.
The official said that of the 962 firearms seized, 92 were recovered during checkpoints, 481 in police responses, 136 in anti-illegal drug operations, 53 in gun buy-bust operations, and 263 in other law enforcement operations.
The National Capital Region Police Office headed by Brig. Gen. Anthony A. Aberin made the biggest number of arrests with 123 and the gun seizures with 288.
