MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police said Monday it has arrested over 700 persons for violation of the Commission on Election’s gun ban rule.
Citing PNP’s latest record, PNP spokesman, Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., said of 743 people arrested, 663 were civilians, along with 12 police officers and four military men.
Also among those arrested were 11 security guards and 50 government officials.
As to guns, Cerbo said 649 assorted firearms and 159 explosives and 194 bladed weapons have been confiscated.
“Even before the election period, [we implemented a] Regional Special Operations Task Group that will cater to security needs to the identified 15 areas of concern,” Cerbo said.
Police operations in relation to the upcoming midterm elections, he said, will be further improved.
“Pagtitibayin natin. Paiigtingin natin (We will intensify the campaign). [The public] will feel [and] will see more of our deployments on the ground,” Cerbo said.
Included in the election watch list were Abra, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Cavite, Masbate, Samar, Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan.
In explaining why those provinces got the high-risk tag, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said it was based on several factors.
These include the existence of private armed groups, high number of election-related violence, prevalence of loose firearms, intense political rivalry, existence of organized crime groups and other threat groups.
Campaign period for national candidates will start Tuesday.
He said the current alert status throughout the country has not changed, but said that ground commanders in the regional level have the power to raise their alert level if it is necessary.