Agroup of armed men that caused commotion during the canvassing of votes in San Fernando town, southern Cebu were apprehended by authorities.
The armed men fired shots in the air at 10 p.m. last Monday to terrorize people converging near the Panadtaran Elementary School just as the transmission of results from the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines in the polling precincts wrapped up.
Brig. Gen. Lysander Suerte, deputy commander of the military’s Command (Centcom) said the violence is related to the hotly contested mayoralt race in San Fernando town between Neneth Reluya of the Nacionalista Party and Abe Canoy of the Liberal Party.
He however did not say for whom the armed men were working for pending investigation.
Prompt response from the police and the Navy resulted in the arrest of the armed men.
The quick response team that immediately arrested 10 armed men caught three more suspects after a few minutes. Confiscated from them were seven firearms.
The 13 men detained at the police precinct were Maxin Manugas Alerta who was in possession .38 caliber pistol with eight bullets; Rolando Alvarez Pacres who was armed with .357 caliber revolver with 13 bullets; Nimrod Mahinay Parba, Joselito Libre Cabigon, Lomar Quirante, Chester Saura Delfin, Raymund Oberes Catubas, Evinicer Canoy Canas, Sherwin Estrellosos Marco, Kineth Taping Balduman, Odilon Duyag Santa Rita, Rogelio Ygot Cabatic and Mariano Llanto Baldoman.
Authorities further recovered seven abandoned firearms near the place they were arrested.
Recovered were two KG 9mm automatic pistols with 39 bullets, a .357 magnum revolver with 13 bullets, two .38 revolvers and two .45 revolvers.
The suspects are now detained in the San Fernando police precinct awaiting charges of illegal possession of firearms in violation of the election gun ban.
In order to beef up security in the town, the CentCom deployed two Simba Armored Personnel Carrier yesterday morning to help in security operations.
Last Monday morning, in nearby Carcar City, a vehicle carrying election paraphernalia were fired upon by a band of armed men.
Meanwhile, in an election security briefing of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) at Camp Sergio Osmeña yesterday, the PNP reported 47 election related incidents in Central Visayas from May 10 -14.
In Cebu province, these consisted of six shootings; four vote-buying arrests, two cases of harassment, eight arrests for gun ban violations and confiscation of two explosives.
Since the election gun ban was enforced in Jan. 13, 2013, the PRO-7 arrested 265 persons on charges of illegal firearms possession.
About 142 cases have been filed in court and 112 still under investigation./with Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus