Police nab 14 violators on second day of gun ban

ON the second day of the election gun ban, 14 individuals, including a security guard in Isabela Province, were arrested while 15 firearms were seized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and police-led checkpoints since the election period started on Sunday.

The rise in the number of violators prompted the Philippine National Police to remind the public to abide by the gun ban the PNP and the Comelec is jointly enforcing.

In a press briefing on Monday, Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said one of the punishments the violators will face is the revocation of their license to vote in the elections.

Rommel Simbran, a 37-year-old security guard in Santiago City, Isabela was arrested on Sunday after the police found two guns in his possession despite the nationwide gun ban ahead of the general elections in May.

Based on the PNP’s election gun ban monitoring report, police took a .38-caliber Armscor revolver and a homemade gun with 14 live ammunitions at a checkpoint.

Meanwhile, two men from Agusan del Sur were apprehended by the police for bringing guns in Talacogon town.

Dondon delos Santos, 35, and Julius Labor, 39, had a .45-caliber pistol and two 9-mm pistol and assorted ammunitions when police flagged them down at the election checkpoint.

The two will be facing penalties for violating Comelec Resolution No. 10015 banning the bearing, carrying, and transporting of firearms and other deadly weapons.

The PNP has yet to give details on the 11 individuals who were also arrested for violating the gun ban.

When the gun ban is implemented, anyone except the military and police are prohibited from bringing any type of firearm—be it air guns or replicas—ammunitions, bladed and other deadly weapons.