COMELEC CHECKPOINT Policemen from Marikina City conduct a checkpoint near Tumana Bridge, April 4, 2022. Comelec checkpoints are set up to implement the poll body’s gun ban and enforce stricter security during the election period. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded a total of 3,416 election gun ban violations so far as of the ban’s last day, on June 8, Wednesday.
Figures from the PNP’s Public Information Office (PNP-PIO) on Wednesday showed that 3,631 persons were arrested in 3,416 police operations from January 9 to early Wednesday morning — of those arrested, 3,493 are civilians.
READ: Gun ban on as election period begins
Also arrested were 61 private security personnel. In addition, 28 PNP personnel and 22 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were also arrested.
The gun ban started a month before February 9, or the official start of the campaign season. The gun ban is lifted on Thursday morning.
As of May 15, the PNP recorded 3,057 gun ban violations — which means 359 more violations were recorded in less than 30 days.
READ: 82 more gun ban violations push total to 3,057 — PNP
Out of the 2,795 firearms confiscated, 2,377 are small firearms or handguns, while 87 are light weapons. The PNP also found 96 firearm parts and 161 gun replicas, while 74 other firearms have not been identified.
There were also 1,160 bladed weapons seized while 140 explosives were also discovered during the police operations. The PNP also recorded the seizure of 17,345 bullets throughout the gun ban’s implementation.
Most of the gun ban violations were recorded in the National Capital Region (NCR), at 1,241. This was followed by Central Visayas with 398 violations, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) with 389, Central Luzon (244), and Western Visayas (218).
The NCR has the most number of arrested violators at 1,322, followed by Calabarzon (397), Central Visayas (372), Central Luzon (319), and Western Visayas (218).
Under the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10741 issued last December, only those who have secured a certificate of authority from the poll body can be exempted from the gun ban.
Violation of the ban is considered an election offense, as people may be penalized with imprisonment from one to six years, and may be disqualified from voting and from holding public office.